The Northern States Governors’ Forum, along with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, has expressed concerns over recurring power outages across northern states, which they attribute to the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
Speaking at the forum’s meeting in Kaduna on Monday, Forum Chairman Governor Inuwa Yahaya highlighted the critical need to safeguard essential infrastructure and called for expanded transmission networks to boost energy resilience.
The governors emphasized that diversifying energy sources and improving connectivity are vital for ensuring a reliable power supply in the region.
Additionally, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, present at the meeting, dismissed claims that bandits control parts of the transmission infrastructure, adding that measures are underway to ensure effective monitoring.
Another priority discussed was the need to tackle youth restiveness through investments in education, skill-building, and job opportunities.
The governors view this as the best response to recent protests related to governance, poverty, and limited economic opportunities.