The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed deep concerns regarding Nigeria’s persistent power supply issues and the frequent collapses of the national grid.
The former Vice President condemned the ongoing blackout affecting the Southeast, Northwest, and Northeast regions, which has left residents without electricity for the past three weeks.
He urged the relevant ministries and departments to take immediate action to restore power to these areas.
In a post on his official X.com account on Saturday, Atiku highlighted his policy document, “My Covenant with Nigerians”, which he believes offers the most proactive solutions for the country’s ongoing electricity challenges.
He stated, “In particular reference to the situations in both the Southeast and the entire states of the Northwest and Northeast, which have experienced complete blackouts in the past three weeks, every government department responsible for addressing the problem must act swiftly to restore electricity to these distressed geopolitical zones.
Meanwhile, I still believe that my solution, as encapsulated in my policy document, My Covenant with Nigerians, remains the most proactive plan to lead our country out of perennial darkness.”
Atiku also called for the decentralization of the electricity sector, advocating for states to be empowered to generate, transmit, and distribute their own electricity.
He emphasized the urgent need to establish complementary infrastructure to support this initiative, stating, “There is an urgent need to remove the entire electricity value chain from the exclusive list and grant states the power to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity for themselves.”
He added, “I firmly believe that an industrial dispute with the Federal Government in the nation’s capital should not affect industrial activities in any of the states or cities in the country.”
Atiku further noted that while investments in additional power generation are crucial, enhancing the transmission and distribution infrastructure is equally important to accommodate the energy produced.
Recognizing the diverse energy opportunities across the nation, he suggested a balanced approach that includes both renewable (hydro, solar, wind, and biofuels) and non-renewable (coal, gas) energy sources.
He concluded with a call to action for private investors to support the development of multiple greenfield mini-grid transmission systems, which could eventually connect to a super-grid in the medium to long term.
