Northern Nigeria Lost About ₦1.5 Trillion from Recent Blackouts- IHRC

Confidence UbaniOctober 31, 20241 Mins read1k

An Electricity Grid

Northern Nigeria has lost an estimated ₦1.5 trillion in economic value over the past week due to widespread blackouts. This is according to a report by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Nigerian Chapter. The power outages severely disrupted essential services and the livelihoods of about 100 million people across the region.

Ambassador Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, IHRC’s Nigerian Director, voiced his concern in a meeting at Kano. He noted that the ongoing lack of electricity worsens economic hardships and increases security risks. Adamu called on the government to act quickly and lamented the human rights implications of restricted electricity access.

Reliable electricity is a basic right, crucial for security, health, education, and economic stability, he said.

He added that the outages make communities more vulnerable to crime due to poor lighting and limited communication channels, heightening security risks. Adamu pointed out that reliable power is also necessary for meeting basic needs like safe water, refrigeration, and sanitation, which are increasingly at risk. He urged investments in decentralised, renewable energy sources and the development of regional power infrastructure to reduce dependency on the national grid.

The recent fault that plunged Northern Nigeria into darkness occurred shortly after the country suffered three national grid collapses in one week. According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), electricity supply has been partially restored to seven states in the northern region.

The power supply was reinstated to Lafia, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe States as of 4:56 p.m. Wednesday after repairs on the 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line 1 was completed. The announcement was made in a statement signed by Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs.

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