The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Elkanemi, has said 10 out of 27 local government areas of Borno State are not connected to the national grid.
The monarch disclosed this on Tuesday at the Presidential flag off of Wadi-B oil well drilling in Tuba community, Jere Local government Area of the state.
“We have a very serious problem of power supply, because out of the 27 local government areas of the state, 10 are not connected to the national grid, especially those in northern Borno,” he said.
Shehu said apart from power supply, the state is faced with myriad challenges in education, road infrastructure and unemployment among youths.
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He said the oil discovery would place Borno on the list of oil-producing states, which in turn provide enough revenue that would improve infrastructures and create more jobs in the state.
He said there’s a need for more road infrastructure in Borno to improve trade and create more jobs, being that the state shares international borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic.
He commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for resuming oil search in the area after halting the venture for over 5 years due to Boko Haram insurgency.
Earlier, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari, hailed the security agencies for ensuring relative peace and safety in the Wadi-B oil well drilling area.
He said the oil exploration wouldn’t have been possible without the foresight and doggedness of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the political will of Borno State governor Babagana Zulum in working assiduously with security agencies to restore peace in the state.
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