In light of severe electricity outages and rising fuel prices, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State, has called for urgent investment in alternative energy sources to meet Nigeria’s growing power demands. The recent vandalism of the 330kV Shiroro-Kaduna power line, which supplies Kano, Kaduna, and other northern states, has left much of Northern Nigeria in darkness, further exacerbated by high fuel prices that have driven up costs for diesel and petrol-powered generators.
“The situation has worsened due to the high cost of petrol and diesel, plunging households further into darkness and forcing many factories to halt operations,” Kwankwaso stated. He highlighted the limitations within Nigeria’s power sector, stressing that the slow response to the current crisis underscores a “huge deficit of capacity” and the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions.
Kwankwaso urged state governments and private investors to consider renewable energy options, citing the installation of turbines in the Challawa Gorge and Tiga Dams in Kano as examples of efforts to reduce reliance on an overburdened national grid. “It is about time that we look into alternative power sources,” he said, advocating for a unified approach to harness Nigeria’s abundant resources to address energy shortages and high fuel costs.
