Former Kaduna State Senator and well-known social activist Shehu Sani has issued a strong appeal to Saudi Arabia, urging the oil-rich kingdom to prioritize building a second national power grid for Nigeria rather than supporting economic reforms.
His statement comes amid ongoing discussions between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on how the kingdom could aid Nigeria’s reform program.
Taking to his X account on Wednesday, Sani criticized the reform-focused agenda, saying, “They should just build a second national grid for us and leave the issue of reforms for now.”
This statement sheds light on the frustration felt by many Nigerians over the government’s focus on economic policies rather than tackling urgent infrastructure challenges, especially Nigeria’s chronic power shortages.
Nigeria’s current national grid is notoriously unreliable, with frequent outages affecting millions across the country. With a population exceeding 225 million, Nigeria faces significant challenges meeting its power needs, and over 40% of Nigerians live in poverty, relying on generators and alternative power sources.
Sani’s comments underscore the disconnect between what many Nigerians see as essential infrastructure needs and the reform agenda being pursued by Nigerian leaders.
The call for Saudi Arabia to step in and support a new power grid follows a recent meeting between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders met during the Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, discussing potential areas of cooperation that included oil, gas, agriculture, and infrastructure.
President Tinubu has been vocal about his economic reform plans, securing commitments of over $30 billion in foreign direct investment in recent months. His administration recently announced negotiations for a $5 billion trade facility with Saudi Arabia to boost Nigeria’s economic reforms.
However, Sani argues that the immediate priority should be on building Nigeria’s power capacity, which would have a more direct impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“Oil-rich Saudi promised to support Nigeria’s economic reforms. They should just build a second National grid for us and leave the issue of the reforms for now,” Sani reiterated, emphasizing the urgency for infrastructural investments.
Despite Nigeria’s rich trade history with Saudi Arabia, with exports of $661 million in crude petroleum to Saudi Arabia and imports of $673 million in refined petroleum and polymers from the kingdom in 2022 alone, the reality remains that Nigeria’s energy infrastructure remains inadequate.
Many experts agree that a second national grid would be a game-changer for Nigeria’s development, providing more consistent power supply to industries, businesses, and households alike.
While Saudi Arabia has pledged support for economic reforms, Sani’s statements reflect a popular sentiment that immediate, tangible improvements in infrastructure would be more impactful for Nigerians.
In recent years, the Nigerian economy has faced multiple challenges, including inflation, currency devaluation, and rising debt. The government’s push for reforms aims to create a more resilient and diversified economy, but critics argue that these reforms are not enough if basic infrastructure issues remain unaddressed.
Nigeria’s presidency has confirmed that discussions with Saudi Arabia include topics beyond just reforms, mentioning potential cooperation in oil and gas and the establishment of the Saudi-Nigeria Business Council.
“The two leaders explored potential areas for cooperation, particularly oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure, and the constitution of the Saudi-Nigeria Business Council,” stated a release from the Nigerian presidency.
