Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria’s capital, have continued to count their losses following the power blackouts in most parts of the Territory.
While some parts of the Territory are supplied power for some hours, some areas have not even had it for five consecutive days.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the poor power supply or blackouts in some parts of the city have lingered for more than a month.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) had attributed the poor supply of electricity to its franchise areas to low power generation from the national grid.
Donald Etim, the AEDC chief marketing officer, had said this in a statement issued in Abuja on March 4.
“The AEDC wishes to inform our customers in Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa and the FCT that the current low and unstable supply of electricity to homes and businesses is as a result of low power generated to the national grid.
“In recent weeks, the level of power generated and served to the national grid for onward delivery to customers has been abysmally low,” Etim said.
The development had led to load shedding in the affected areas.
Electricity consumers residing in Lugbe, Kuje, Area 10, Central Area, Kubwa told NAN in Abuja on Sunday that the poor power supply had affected their sources of income as well as their health.
Esohe Omohe, a fashion designer, said that in the last two months, power situation had worsened thereby affecting her business.
Ms. Omohe said the fuel scarcity had worsened the situation as she could not get fuel to power her generator.
According to her, most fueling stations have refused to sell in jerry cans.
“There is no light, no fuel, the situation is terrible and we are appealing to the Federal Government for quick intervention before people die of hunger,” she said.
Uche Okoro, an ice block seller, described the light situation as “bad and worrisome’’.
Mrs Okoro said that electricity supply was not regular as it used to be in the past, saying that power supply had been epileptic for more than a month.
According to her, the beer parlour she operates to assist her family is no longer thriving as most nights there is no light to power the freezers to cool drinks.
“I am appealing to the management of AEDC and the Federal Government to do something urgently about this so we can get some respite,’’ she said.
In Jedo Estate on Airport Road, a welder, Innocent Okpara, said lack of stable electricity supply in the area had continued to affect his work, saying that he now depends only on generator to do his job.
He said that electricity situation in the area had worsened in the last two months and this had adversely affected his income.
“As you can see, these doors and windows I am making are for my customers, if there is steady power supply, I will be able to deliver and earn some income.
“Even when there is light, it hardly lasts up to two hours and we understand there is load shedding currently ongoing.
“We are appealing to the AEDC to give us light at night even if it is for four hours, as we have not slept with light for more than three weeks,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, had recently at a ministerial briefing said the erratic power supply being experienced nationwide was caused by low water level in the hydro power stations.
According to him, with the reduction in water levels at the hydro power stations during the dry season, there is the need for additional load to be taken up by gas plants.
