Poor Electricity Supply: Our businesses are folding up, Abuja residents lament

Many small business owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) say their businesses are folding up due to poor power supply.

The residents, especially business owners, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The electricity consumers, who reside in Kubwa and environs, Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Aco Estate, decried the poor state of power supply in their areas.

According to them, the power supply has worsened recently compared to how it was.

Amanda Okoye, a fashion designer in Kubwa, said that the situation was so bad that for weeks she had not been able to meet her customers’ demands.

“We have not had electricity for close to three days now. I have to depend on generator and getting the fuel to power it is expensive because of the increase in the pump price of the product.

“It has been so bad that I have decided to close the business for now till power supply improves in the area.

“The situation we face here is close to darkness, and this has not been easy with me at all, as my customers are complaining seriously and this is not good for my business.

“I am appealing to the government and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to do something about the power situation as a matter of urgency,” she said.

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Collins Osahon, a barber in Kubwa, said that the situation was getting worse as they do not have power for more than two hours a day.

Mr Osahon said that he had to rely on a generator to do his business, adding that because of the high cost of fuel, he had increased the cost of cutting hair.

He said sometimes electricity is restored at night when everyone is asleep and this has reduced patronage, which can lead to businesses folding up.

Also speaking, Amos Okoduwa, a welder residing in Kuje, said that electricity was not as regular in his area as it was before.

He said, “We only have light for four to five hours a day and sometimes we don’t get it for a whole day.

“I am appealing to the government to improve power supply to the area to enable me to run my business effectively so that I can feed my family,’’ he said.

Comfort Maduka, who operates a cold room in Kuje, also said that electricity was not constant in her area.

Mr Maduka said that the government and AEDC should do their best to improve power supply, especially as consumers were paying for the services

She said that she had to lock up the cold room because her goods were perishing as she could not afford the high cost of diesel to power her generator

“I am appealing to the government to improve power supply so that I can come back to business,” she said.

Okon Etim, who runs a laundry service in ACO Estate on Airport Road, said that the electricity situation in the area had become terrible.

Mr Etim said that the area does not have power supply for more than five to six hours in a day, adding that the electricity goes off every 20 minutes.

”I don’t know what to do. So, I have to close down my business until I am able to buy a big generator that I can use for the business, he said.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said his ministry was committed to addressing the challenges in Nigeria’s energy sector.

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“We acknowledge the economic hardships faced by many Nigerians and reaffirm our commitment to stabilising the grid, expanding access, and fostering investor confidence.

“Recent reforms, such as the ongoing upgrade of transmission infrastructure and partnerships with renewable energy developers, are pivotal to achieving sustainable solutions,” he said.

The minister urged Nigerians to continue to support government policies and initiatives.

He also called on Nigerians to report illegal activities such as energy theft and tampering with power infrastructure.

“Let us also embrace energy-efficient practices to reduce strain on the grid.

“As emphasised by President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, collective resilience and patriotism are vital to overcoming national challenges,” he said.

(NAN)