A PROLONGED power outage in Kano State, now entering its 10th day, has severely disrupted socio-economic activities in the metropolis, leaving residents and business owners in distress.
The blackout, compounded by recurrent failures of the national grid, has plunged communities into darkness, forcing businesses to rely on costly alternatives and pushing many into financial strain.
Speaking to this newspaper, several residents lamented the impact of the outage.
A supermarket owner and restaurant owner in Sabon Gari, Fagge Local Council, Jude Michael, described the situation as frustrating. “I have been running on a generator for days, which is making me incur losses.
“Sometimes customers come, and other times they don’t. It is not encouraging,” he said.
A welder in Dakata, Nasarawa Council, Abubakar Bala, said his business was struggling. “We have paid for electricity, yet we do not have access. If power is not restored soon, my business might collapse,” he warned, urging the government to fix the problem and consider alternative energy sources.
In Tarauni Council, another welder, Aminu Sani, said the high cost of fuel forced him to suspend operations. “We charge more when using generators, but not everyone can afford the increase. Now we’re stranded,” he said.
Frozen food dealer Manu Garba, based along Zaria Road, said business owners had fallen into debt. “We expected good Easter sales, but cartons of chicken and fish got spoilt. Many couldn’t salvage anything,” he said.
In Kumbotso, a hairdresser, Fatima Usman, lamented the power company’s continued issuance of estimated bills despite the outage. “This is a huge blow to those of us who rely on electricity to survive,” she said.
Meanwhile, mobile phone charging operators reported increased patronage. Malam Isa Umar said he raised prices to between N150 and N200 per phone due to fuel costs.
Water supply has also been affected, with the cost of a 25-litre jerrycan doubling to N200 in some areas.
Sani Bala, Head of Corporate Communications at Kano Electricity Distribution Company, attributed the outage to ongoing network upgrades and vegetation control.
He assured that the maintenance work was necessary to improve infrastructure and enhance safety and service delivery.