ABUJA RESIDENTS LAMENT PROLONGED BLACKOUT AS BUSINESSES, WATER SUPPLY SUFFER

Read Time:3 Minute, 54 Second

By: Muftau Fatimo

Residents of several parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have lamented prolonged power outages, saying the situation has disrupted businesses, water supply and other daily activities.

A resident of Kubwa, Fatima Muhammad, told the media that the blackout had affected her household and baking business, resulting in financial losses.

Muhammad explained that she had run out of water because she could not power her pumping machine, while some of her baked products had spoiled due to the lack of electricity.

She added that the prolonged outage had made it difficult to carry out her daily activities and sustain her business.

Several other residents have also taken to social media to express frustration over the persistent power interruption and the response of electricity distribution authorities.

An X user, Peace Kanu PIAK, said her area in Dutse had been without electricity for two days before she came across an update on the situation.

“Thank you for the information. However, be informed that my area, Dutse, has not had electricity for the past two days, and we just got your update here. Please, TCN technical team should accelerate the restoration process,” she wrote.

Another user, Christian, criticised the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), saying residents had endured five consecutive days without electricity.

“If your team put the same energy into being proactive and ensuring our complaints are resolved as you do into updating us, this five-day absence of light would have been sorted out,” the user said.

Similarly, an X user identified as Nazeerah disclosed that residents of Area 8, Garki, had been without electricity for three weeks.

“We haven’t had electricity for three weeks now. Very, very unfair and overwhelming,” she wrote.

Another user, BLVCKK, questioned the inconsistent power supply despite customers paying for Band A electricity, which attracts higher tariffs in exchange for a specified minimum daily supply.

“We pay for Band A, and you guys are stylishly giving us one day in, one day out. It is becoming a pattern. I believe this isn’t faults anymore, but rationing,” the user said.

Dane Doug also expressed frustration over the situation, writing, “Freezers are freezing, but there is no light across all the major areas of the FCT.”

Mark Itsibor, another X user, lamented the prolonged outage in Bwari, the Nigerian Law School area, Ushafa, Bmuko and Dutse, accusing electricity authorities of failing to address the situation.

“What kind of hell have you subjected most Abuja residents to in the last one week? Why are you so careless? There has been no light in Bwari, Law School, Ushafa, Bmuko and the entire Dutse for days,” he said.

The media gathered that landlords’ associations in Ushafa, Dutse and Kubwa were planning to stage a protest on Monday if the power situation remained unresolved.

Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced a planned interruption of electricity supply in parts of Abuja on Wednesday to enable maintenance work at its 132/33kV Kubwa Substation.

In a statement, TCN said the maintenance would prevent AEDC from receiving electricity for distribution to customers in Kubwa, Bwari, Army Resettlement, parts of Dutse Alhaji and adjoining areas during the exercise.

However, AEDC informed customers on Friday that the disruption affecting several parts of the FCT was also linked to a technical fault on TCN’s 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line.

In a notice published on its X handle, the distribution company listed Garki, parts of Apo, Asokoro, Wuse Zones 1 and 2, Wuye, Jabi, Utako, Jahi, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Dawaki, Dutse, DeiDei, Suleja and adjoining areas among the affected locations.

AEDC said TCN’s technical team was working to rectify the fault and restore stability to the national grid.

The company assured customers that electricity supply would be restored to the affected areas once the transmission line was cleared.

The development comes weeks after the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said some electricity consumers had appealed to him to slow down following improvements in power supply.

Speaking at the commissioning of a three-megawatt solar hybrid power project at the University of Abuja in September, Tegbe said some areas that previously went without electricity for months were now receiving up to 18 hours of supply daily.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours of light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” he said.

Responding to the complaints, the minister said freezers were designed to keep food frozen.

“That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” he added.