National Grid Woes: Atiku Faults Tinubu's Power Policy, Proposes Lasting Way-Out
- Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has decried the extensive blackout being experienced by some states in the country due to issues with the national grid
- He urged all responsible government departments to intensify efforts to restore electricity to the affected states, as people express their frustrations over the inconvenience
- Atiku proposes a solution where each state has control over its own power grid, in contrast to the centralized power system currently in place
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has voiced his concerns over the recent prolonged blackouts in northern Nigeria and he urged the federal government to take immediate steps to restore back the power.
The People's Democratic Party's presidential candidate during the last general election also proposed a radical restructuring of Nigeria’s electricity sector that would decentralise power generation and give individual states exclusive control.
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In a statement on social media, Atiku expressed his distress over the three-week-long complete blackout experienced by the affected states.
He called for government departments responsible for energy supply and distribution to intervene swiftly and restore electricity to the affected geopolitical zones.
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He said:
"Every government department responsible for addressing the problem must be quick in its intervention and restore electricity back to the distressed geopolitical zones."
Atiku criticises current power arrangement
Atiku also criticized the current centralization of Nigeria's electricity management, arguing that it places too much control in the hands of the federal government, making states vulnerable to nationwide industrial disputes and other issues that originate far from their regions.
He cited a recent labor dispute in the Federal Capital Territory that led to disruptions across the country, advocating for structural reforms to decentralize Nigeria’s power grid.
He added:
"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. 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 of the country."
Atiku calls for diversification
Beyond decentralization, Atiku also preach the need for diversifying Nigeria’s energy mix.
He recommended a combination of renewable sources—hydro, solar, wind, and biofuels—and non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas.
"Considering that energy opportunities exist in different parts of the country, our strategy should be a viable mix of renewable (hydro, solar, wind and biofuels) and non-renewable (coal, gas)," Atiku concluded
Atiku levels fresh allegation Against Tinubu
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, had said the future of Nigerians has been "effectively mortgaged" to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (popularly called BAT), his family, and associates.
Atiku levelled this allegation against the incumbent Nigerian leader via a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe.
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Source: Legit.ng
