Electricity has been restored in four states under the Jos Electricity Distribution franchise: Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, and Benue. The power was back on around 7:20 PM on Wednesday. According to our correspondent, residents in Jos, the capital of Plateau, celebrated joyfully as the lights came back on.
For the past 10 days, several northern states have experienced power outages due to the tripping of the 330kV transmission line connecting Benue and Enugu states.
As a result, residents of the affected states expressed their frustration over the significant impact of the blackout on their daily lives and businesses.
On Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced that President Tinubu is taking steps to address the disruptions affecting social and economic activities in the North. He summoned the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to expedite efforts in restoring electricity to the affected states.
Onanuga expressed the President’s concern over the vandalism and destruction of power infrastructure that led to the blackout. During a meeting with the Minister of Power, who provided updates on the repairs of the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines, President Tinubu emphasized the need for a long-term solution to these challenges.
President Tinubu has urged Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) engineers to persist in their efforts to restore electricity, emphasizing the urgency of providing relief to communities reliant on power for their social and economic activities.
To facilitate the restoration work, he instructed National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to collaborate with the Army and Air Force to ensure adequate security for the engineers, including the provision of aerial support to safeguard them while they repair the damaged transmission lines.
Furthermore, President Tinubu called on traditional rulers, community leaders, and other influential figures to partner with security agencies to protect public assets and infrastructure. He firmly stated that the government will not tolerate any acts of sabotage or destruction of public utilities.
