Sani to Saudi Arabia: Build second national grid for Nigeria, leave economic reforms

The former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has urged Saudi Arabia to focus on constructing a second national grid for Nigeria, rather than supporting economic reforms.

According to the Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), Sani made the statement to respond to reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pledged support for Nigeria’s economic reform initiatives.

Sani on his X formerly Twitter page posted “Saudi Arabia has pledged to support Nigeria’s economic reforms, but let’s be real, what we really need is a reliable energy infrastructure.”

“Instead of just promising reforms, Saudi Arabia should consider investing in a second national grid for Nigeria.”

As reported, Al Saud expressed his support for Nigeria’s economic reforms during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh.

According to a statement released by Tinubu’s spokesman, Mr.Bayo Onanuga, “Tinubu and Saudi Crown Prince explored exciting opportunities for collaboration in key sectors, particularly in oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure and the constitution of the Saudi-Nigeria Business Council.”

“Nigeria seeks a formal agreement with Saudi Arabia to establish a $5 billion bilateral trade facility, aiming to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.”

“The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) made a significant investment in Olam Agri, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural firms, in 2022 and acquired a 35.43% stake in Olam Agri for $1.24 billion, marking a substantial partnership,” the statement read.

Who is Shehu Sani?

Shehu Sani is a Nigerian politician, author, and human rights activist. He was born on October 29, 1967, in Tudun Wada, Kaduna State.

Sani started his journey into politics by his activism, particularly in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria, which led to his arrest and imprisonment multiple times during the military regimes. He represented Kaduna Central from 2015 to 2019.

Early Life and Education of Sani

The human rights activist attended primary school at Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) in Badarawa, Kaduna, and later went to Government Day Secondary school in Kagara, Niger State.

He then enrolled at Kaduna Polytechnic, where he earned an associate degree in Agricultural Engineering.

Unionism and Activism of Sani

Sani’s involvement in activism began during his school days at Kaduna Polytechnic, where he served as the Chairman of the Central Mobilization Committee of PAN-African Student Organization.

He was also the President of the African Democratic Youth Congress and Social Director of Kaduna State Students Union.

Literary Works

Shehu Sani has authored several books, including Killing Fields (2007), Poverty in Northern Nigeria, Political Assassination in Nigeria (2007), Youth as Vanguard in the Battle against Corruption, Scorpion under Pillow (2007), and Civilian Dictators of Africa (2008).

Politics and Senate Career

In 2015, Sani won the senate seat representing Kaduna Central under the AllProgressive Congress (APC) platform.

During his tenure, he chaired the Senate Committee on Local & Foreign Debts and served as Vice Chairman on the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. He resigned from the APC in 2018 and defected to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

Know about Nigeria’s National Grid

Nigeria’s national grid is a complex network of electrical transmission lines that connects generating stations to loads across the country.

It is designed to operate within specific limits, known as stability limits, based on voltage, current, and frequency.

The grid’s normal frequency level is 50Hz, and any significant deviation from this range can cause instability and potentially lead to a collapse.

Key Components of the National Grid

The grid’s transmission system comprises 330 kV and 132 kV circuits and substations, spreading across the country and into neighbouring countries.

Its thermal generation is mainly located in the south, near gas sources, while hydro generation is in the north, at Jebba, Kainji, and Shiroro. Its distribution split into 11 zones, with 33 kV, 11 kV, and low-voltage circuits.

Challenges Facing the National Grid

The experiences frequent collapses caused by significant disruptions, such as transmission line faults or sudden changes in demand.

Besides, it lacks proper maintenance of generating facilities and limited renewable energy resources to support peak demand.

In addition, there is demand supply imbalance, which when demand exceeds supply, the grid becomes unstable, leading to potential collapses.

Efforts to Improve the National Grid

There is System Operator (SO) put in place to monitor and control the grid to maintain stability and reliability.

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is also put in place to enhance the SO’s ability to react quickly to changes in the grid.

Besides, there are Regional Control Centres established to monitor and control grid operations in different regions.

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