Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has called on Saudi Arabia to support Nigeria in a critical area of infrastructure development by helping to build a second national grid. His remarks come in response to the announcement that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Al Saud had promised Nigeria assistance in its economic reform programmes.
This assurance was made during a meeting between Prince Mohammed and President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh. According to a statement from President Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the two leaders discussed several potential areas for cooperation, including oil and gas, agriculture, and infrastructure. One key topic was the establishment of the Saudi-Nigeria Business Council, aimed at boosting economic ties between the two nations.
In his statement, Onanuga highlighted that Nigeria is seeking a partnership with Saudi Arabia to secure a $5 billion bilateral trade facility. Additionally, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) made a significant investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, acquiring a 35.43% stake in Olam Agri, one of the country’s leading agricultural firms, for $1.24 billion in 2022.
However, Sani, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), suggested that Saudi Arabia’s focus should be on supporting Nigeria’s infrastructure needs rather than economic reforms at this time. He wrote, “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.”
Nigeria’s power sector has long struggled with capacity and reliability issues, and Sani’s call for a second national grid highlights the need for more robust and sustainable infrastructure to support the country’s development.
