In a recent statement, former People’s Democratic Party Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar addressed Nigeria’s ongoing electricity crisis, which has left the Southeast, Northwest, and Northeast regions in complete blackouts for the past three weeks.
Abubakar emphasized the need for urgent government intervention to restore electricity in these distressed geopolitical zones.
Abubakar reiterated his belief in the comprehensive solution presented in his Policy Document, My Covenant with Nigerians. He advocated for removing the electricity value chain from the exclusive control of the federal government, allowing states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity independently. This approach, he argued, would prevent nationwide disruptions in industrial activities caused by disputes in the federal capital and enable states to develop region-specific energy solutions.
In addition to increasing power generation, Abubakar stressed the importance of investing in transmission and distribution infrastructure to efficiently transport energy across the country. He recommended a diverse energy strategy, combining renewable sources such as hydro, solar, wind, and biofuels, with non-renewable resources like coal and gas.
Abubakar also reiterated his call for encouraging private investments in green-field mini-grid transmission systems, which he suggests could connect to the national super-grid over time. According to Abubakar, a decentralized and diversified power strategy is essential to lifting Nigeria out of its “perennial darkness.”
