Northern Nigeria is sinking deeper into darkness, marking its tenth day without electricity. The total power outage, which started early last Monday, has disrupted the lives of millions across the region. Homes, businesses, critical services, and hospitals are scrambling to cope without reliable power.
According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the blackout began when the 330kV transmission lines between Benue and Enugu, and another between Shiroro and Kaduna, tripped due to a fault. This sudden and prolonged failure has cast the entire Northeast, Northwest, and parts of the North Central regions into darkness, cutting them off from the lifeline of electricity with no clear end in sight. Residents are frustrated, business owners are losing revenue, and health facilities are struggling to maintain basic operations in a situation that has grown increasingly untenable.
But as the north grapples with this power crisis, a more insidious issue lies beneath the surface the glaring disparity in electricity distribution across Nigeria. The Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) data paints a troubling picture of regional inequity, with the north consistently receiving a far smaller share of electricity than the south. Abuja Disco, responsible for the Federal Capital Territory and three states, Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa receives a substantial 15.42% of the total allocation. However, in Lagos, the story is amplified to staggering proportions. Eko and Ikeja Discos, control 12.94% and 15.22%, respectively, meaning that Lagos State alone enjoys over 28% of the nation’s electricity supply more than the combined allocation for all northern regions.
Meanwhile, Yola Disco, which covers the expansive and underserved Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, and Yobe, struggles with a paltry 2.85% allocation. Kano Disco, responsible for Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina, fares only slightly better with 6.76%, while Kaduna Disco, covering Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara, receives 6.51%. Together, these allocations for the north make up less than a fifth of the national distribution, leaving millions of Nigerians with insufficient power despite their growing energy needs.
This disparity becomes even more stark when considering the combined regional breakdown. The North Central region, with Abuja Disco and Jos Disco covering Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, and Gombe receives 21.1%, primarily due to the high allocation to the Abuja. Even so, this figure is eclipsed by the 40% allocated to the southwest, for Ibadan, Ikeja, and Eko Discos. The South-South region receives a significant 15.34% share between Benin and Port Harcourt Discos. The Southeast, covered by Enugu Disco, receives 7.22%, which, though modest, still surpasses the entire Northeast allocation. It’s a sobering reality that the North, with its vast population, economic potential, and developmental challenges, receives less power than the more industrialised and already advantaged southern regions.
To make matters worse, the energy allocation to Discos data, once transparently available on the System Operator’s website, has mysteriously disappeared. The removal has raised eyebrows, especially as northern communities grow increasingly aware of the disparities in power distribution. Why would the System Operator choose to obscure such essential information? Given the mounting scrutiny and questions around the allocation’s fairness, the timing is suspicious. This act of secrecy is seen as a deliberate attempt to hide the truth from the regions most affected by chronic under-supply.
Electricity is not just about lighting homes it drives economic development, powers industries, and supports essential services. But for millions of northerners, electricity remains a rare privilege rather than a basic right. The imbalance in power allocation has far-reaching consequences, stifling economic growth, limiting job opportunities, and keeping communities in a cycle of underdevelopment.
At its core, the current structure of MYTO’s distribution is deepening the socio-economic divide between the north and the south, turning electricity into yet another symbol of inequality in a country already fraught with regional tensions.
MYTO was introduced to provide a framework for fair and efficient distribution of electricity, but these numbers tell a different story. Instead of fostering national development, the existing allocation scheme appears to serve the interests of the already well-off regions, leaving others to make do with far less. Without transparency and accountability, the TCN’s System Operator and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission risk eroding trust in a system that should, by all standards, be working for the collective good. It’s time to confront the uncomfortable reality of these disparities and demand a fairer distribution model that reflects the needs and rights of all Nigerians. The lights may be off in the north, but the calls for equity and justice are growing stronger, and they won’t be silenced by the dark.
