Former Senator for Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has urged Saudi Arabia to consider constructing a second national power grid for Nigeria.
Sani’s comments came in response to reports indicating that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Al Saud expressed his nation’s willingness to support Nigeria’s economic reform initiatives. This assurance was made during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the joint Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh.
According to a statement from Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the two leaders discussed various avenues for collaboration, focusing on sectors such as oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure, and the establishment of the Saudi-Nigeria Business Council.
Onanuga noted that Nigeria is seeking to strike a deal with the Saudi government for a proposed $5 billion bilateral trade facility, which aims to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
In 2022, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) invested $1.24 billion to acquire a 35.43 percent stake in Olam Agri, one of Nigeria’s prominent agricultural enterprises, highlighting the growing partnership.
In his reaction, Sani took to X to express his thoughts: “Saudi Arabia, blessed with vast oil reserves, has pledged to support Nigeria’s economic reforms. It would be more beneficial if they focused on building a second national power grid for us and set aside the reform discussions for the time being.”
