The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has stated that the federal government spent N9bn to repair the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna transmission line.
It would be recalled that the line was destroyed in November 2024, leading to a two-week power blackout in 17 Northern states while an alternative line that supplied electricity to the states was also vandalised but was eventually restored.
The minister in a statement by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji said the line is still undergoing repair.
“It costs the TCN over N9bn to bring back the transmission towers and lines destroyed by the terrorists on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, which threw substantial parts of northern Nigeria into darkness last year, up till now, we are yet to complete work on the lines due to activities of bandits who have continued to stagnate efforts to repair some of the lines.
The minister while clarifying the misconception on the proposed N8bn billion in the 2025 budget appropriation of the ministry, said the amount is specifically meant for advocacy, education, enlightenment and provision of technology to protect power infrastructure.
Adelabu said the money would also enlighten Nigerians on the need to protect and take ownership of the power infrastructure and other national assets and in contrast to claims in some quarters that the money was meant for sensitisation on payment of electricity bills.