OPINION: Electricity or Reason: The test before the northern governors

It is a boom season for Nigerian Governors; they had never experienced this much before. A large amount of money is allocated to them every month. To whom much is given, they say, much is expected. What concrete things have they prepared that are commensurate with the allocation they receive? How do we hold them accountable for this?

Nigeria currently faces one of the widest electricity supply gaps in the world. Despite having an installed generating capacity of more than 13,000 megawatts, the country still struggles to generate and distribute between 4,000 and 5,500 megawatts almost every day for a population exceeding 220 million people. Experts estimate that Nigeria needs at least 30,000 megawatts to enjoy stable and functioning electricity, while industrialized countries of similar size produce much more. Recent reports from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and industry operators reveal that many power plants are operating below 40 percent capacity due to gas shortages, poor infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks and weak investment. The consequences were dire. Small businesses spend billions of dollars each year on diesel and gasoline generators. Manufacturers move to neighboring countries with better energy systems. Investors avoid areas where production costs increase due to unstable electricity. According to several business and energy reports, unreliable electricity continues to cost Nigeria billions of dollars annually in lost productivity, business collapse, unemployment and reduced foreign direct investment. Especially in Northern Nigeria, where industrialization is already fragile, unstable electricity has become a direct enemy of economic growth, security, and prosperity.

Nothing can improve and improve our local economy, especially in Northern Nigeria, like a stable supply of electricity. Recently, the President smartly gave responsibility to our Governor by signing the Electricity Law. The Electricity Law issued by Bola Ahmed Tinubu empowers states to decentralize electricity. We have seen states like Abia State, Lagos State and Ogun State grab this opportunity with both hands to boost the local economy.

This makes me wonder what the Northern states are doing about this. Are our people aware of this great opportunity to force the governors of the northern region to provide us with stable electricity? Or are they so preoccupied with thinking about who occupies what position? Or “Falle nawa ne”? Why are today’s know-it-all analysts and intellectuals in the North silent about this, and only discussing the same issues years later when the opportunity may no longer exist? Will our traditional rulers save us by putting these things in the ears of our leaders?

Electricity is no longer just a social facility; it is the backbone of modern civilization. Every thriving economy is powered first by energy before politics, rhetoric, or propaganda. Stable electricity determines whether factories operate efficiently, whether hospitals can save lives, whether schools can provide quality learning environments, whether technology hubs can emerge, and whether local entrepreneurs can compete globally. Nations do not industrialize in the dark. History has repeatedly shown that economic revolutions are built on reliable energy systems. From China to India, from South Korea to Rwanda, serious governments understand that a constant supply of electricity is the oxygen of development.

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Unfortunately, Northern Nigeria still acts as if electricity is a luxury and not an economic necessity. In many parts of the region, people spend more time discussing political appointments and ethnic calculations than discussing energy policy, industrial development, or economic competitiveness. However, no serious investor wants to set up an industry where the electricity supply remains uncertain for most of the day. No meaningful manufacturing revolution can occur if generators make more noise than factories. Our young generation cannot compete globally in digital innovation when power outages disrupt learning, research and productivity every few hours.

What makes the current situation even more sad is that there is a constitutional and legal opportunity for states to take control of their electricity future. The decentralization made possible by the Electricity Law allows countries to generate, transmit and distribute electricity independently based on their own regulatory frameworks. This means governors can no longer blame Abuja for all the darkness their people are experiencing. The era of absolute dependence on the national electricity grid is slowly fading. Countries willing to think ahead can build independent power projects, attract private investors, support renewable energy initiatives, and create regional energy markets capable of transforming their economies.

Signs of this new direction are already starting to appear. Lagos State has moved aggressively to control its electricity market and attract independent suppliers. Energy reforms and local agreements are being pursued to reduce dependence on the unstable national electricity grid and increase supply for businesses and communities. Other states began to realize that electricity supply was no longer solely the responsibility of the Federal Government. The question now is whether countries in the North will take action or continue to watch while other countries move forward economically.

Although the elites and elders of the “fairy-tale” North still struggle to define what is meant by regional development, let alone develop a realistic framework and awareness regarding it, we would be grateful if they could help in realizing a stable electricity supply; the flow that waters the roots of development.

Kaduna State for example, has a Governor among Governors, a Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, and two powerful senior ministers. I hope, pray and expect Kaduna State to lead the Northern region in providing stable and uninterrupted power supply to its people. Kaduna has the intellectual capacity, political influence, industrial history and strategic importance to become an energy model for Northern Nigeria. If harnessed well, stable electricity in Kaduna could revive industry, empower small businesses, strengthen agricultural processing, create jobs for thousands of youth, and attract investors back to the state.

Northern Nigeria cannot continue to lament insecurity, poverty, unemployment and underdeveloped development while ignoring one of the basic pillars of economic transformation. Stable electricity won’t solve every problem overnight, but without electricity, many other solutions will be ineffective. We must start asking tougher questions of those entrusted with managing public resources. Citizens must move beyond political sentiment and demand measurable development. Governors who receive large monthly allocations must demonstrate real investment in energy infrastructure, industrial expansion and economic productivity.

The future belongs to regions that understand that development is carried out deliberately, not by chance. We can no longer provide leadership without vision or citizenship without demands. The opportunity is here. The law is now profitable. Resources available. All that remains is political will, public pressure, and leadership that understands that darkness never built any civilization.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By: Sani Abdulrazak