Abuja residents lament prolonged blackout, landlords plan protest
Residents of Abuja Face Extended Power Outages
Residents in several areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, are grappling with significant power outages that have disrupted daily life, including businesses and water supply.
Fatima Muhammad, a Kubwa resident, reported that the blackout has severely impacted her household and her baking business. Muhammad stated that she has run out of water due to an inability to operate her pumping machine, and that some of her baked goods have spoiled as a result of the lack of electricity. She expressed that the ongoing outages have led to financial losses and difficulties in managing daily activities.
Many residents have taken to social media to voice their frustrations regarding the prolonged disruptions and the lack of timely communication from electricity distribution authorities. A user identifying herself as Peace Kanu reported that her area in Dutse had been without power for two days, highlighting the need for the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) technical team to expedite repairs.
Another social media user, Christian, criticized the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), alleging that residents have endured five days without power. He urged the company to focus more on resolving complaints rather than merely providing updates.
In Area 8, Garki, a resident named Nazeerah reported a three-week power outage, describing the situation as “very unfair and overwhelming.” Another user, BLVCKK, lamented that customers paying for premium electricity services were receiving inconsistent power supply, suggesting that the issue resembled rationing rather than technical faults.
Additional complaints circulated on social media, with users like Dane Doug and Mark Itsibor expressing exasperation over the extensive outages across major areas of the FCT, including Bwari, the Nigerian Law School area, Ushafa, Bmuko, and Dutse.
In response to the situation, landlords’ associations in Ushafa, Dutse, and Kubwa are reportedly planning a protest for Monday if the power situation does not improve.
The TCN, in a statement released Wednesday, announced a planned interruption of electricity supply in parts of Abuja to facilitate maintenance at its 132/33kV Kubwa Substation. The announcement indicated that AEDC would be unable to provide electricity to customers in the affected areas, including Kubwa, Bwari, Army Resettlement, and parts of Dutse Alhaji.
Further complicating matters, AEDC notified customers on Friday that the disruptions were due to a technical fault on TCN’s 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line. The company listed Garki, parts of Apo, Asokoro, and several other areas among the locations facing outages.
AEDC assured customers that TCN’s technical team was working diligently to resolve the issue and restore power.
This series of outages occurs after Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe noted that some electricity consumers had recently requested a slowdown in improvements in supply. Speaking at the commissioning of a solar hybrid power project at the University of Abuja in September, Tegbe mentioned that some areas that had previously experienced lengthy outages were now receiving up to 18 hours of electricity daily.
Tegbe asserted that freezers are designed to keep food frozen, responding to complaints by assuring residents that effective functioning of such appliances is expected during improved power supply periods.
