Residents of Kurudu, Orozo and Karshi communities, located at the tail end of Abuja are grappling with a crippling power supply crisis.
For the past two months, the communities, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), have been experiencing erratic electricity supply, leaving households and businesses in distress.
Many residents described the situation as “frustrating.”
Some reported having electricity for as little as 30 seconds in a day.
Others said that intermittent flashes of light in the night are followed by “outrageous estimated bills” at the end of the month.
Miss Jennifer, a hairdresser in Kurudu, spoke about the difficulties she has faced running her business amid the power scarcity.
“It has been very challenging. Sometimes, I can’t even operate for a few hours because I have to rely on fuel for my generator, which now costs N1,300 per litre. It’s becoming almost impossible to keep the business running,” she complained.
Similarly, Mr. Ogidi, a welder in the community, shared his frustrations:
“How can I work properly when electricity comes for just a few seconds and goes off again? I have lost so many jobs because I cannot predict when the power will be on.”
For Mrs Udoka, who operates a cold room, the power outage has forced a temporary closure of her business.
“I had to shut down because running a generator at over N1,000 per litre of fuel is unsustainable. It’s affecting my income and the storage of perishable goods,” she said.
Kazeem, a local laundry operator, added, “We sometimes see the light for like 1 minute, and then it’s gone. How are we supposed to survive under these conditions?”
The story is no different in neighboring Mararaba Loko in Nasarawa State, where residents say electricity is a rare luxury.
Mrs Chidera, a tailor in the area, said: “We barely see light here; it comes once in a blue moon. It is impossible to plan anything, and businesses are suffering.
“Sometimes we barely have light for a few seconds in a day, yet your prepaid meter is reading fast as if we’ve been using electricity non-stop.
“It doesn’t make sense, and it’s putting more pressure on people who are already struggling to survive.”
Reacting to the complaints, AEDC acknowledged the problem via its official social media platforms.
The company apologised for the inconvenience and assured residents that the situation was not deliberate.
“We understand that the power supply situation in Kurudu community has been abysmal recently, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.
“Kindly be assured that this is not deliberate. Power supply will be normalised in the area once the allocation improves,” the statement read.
Residents, however, are calling for urgent and immediate action, saying that two months of near-total power deprivation is unsustainable for households and businesses alike.
