Residents and business owners in the north-eastern region are counting losses, following a blackout occasioned by the construction of a 330kV Turn-In and Turn-Out towers at the new Bauchi 330kV substation transmission lines.
Recall that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) notified electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) serving the six states in the North-east that there would be blackout in the region while some places would witness significant drop in the supply of electricity.
The notice said outage which would start on June 10 and end on June 14 would affect the Jos-Bauchi-Gombe 132kV line.
But in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, residents are expressing frustration over the power outage, with many grappling with spoilt Sallah meat.
The extended blackout, reportedly due to ongoing grid upgrades has hit households and businesses hard, especially coming right after the Eid-al-Adha celebrations.
Hajiya Aisha Babangida, a resident of the 80 Units Housing Estate in Jimeta, said the ram her household slaughtered could not be stocked in the refrigerator due to the prolonged power cut, thus she was forced to alter her plans.
“The blackout might affect the meat, so to avoid that, I just had to fry everything, even though I prefer to boil some meat for the long run. It is unfortunate that the repair is coming now when most people have already filled their fridges with fresh Sallah meat,” she said.
Also, the intense heat accompanying the outage has made living conditions particularly challenging as Modibbo Kawu, a resident of Yola, highlighted the discomfort. He said despite the city witnessing rainfall on Monday, the searing heat recorded could only be soothed with fans or air conditioners which can only be powered with electricity.
He expressed disappointment that Nigerians continue to face such basic infrastructure challenges after decades of independence. He wondered why alternatives were not put in place before the outage. He insisted that blackout for four days at a stretch was too much for a country that experiences hot weather conditions like Nigeria.
Adamu Abubakar, a soft drink seller, also in Jimeta market, is already experiencing drop in patronage.
“I’ve started experiencing low patronage because the weather is hot and people need cold drinks to cool down,” he explained.
To keep his business afloat, he now plans to “buy some ice blocks”, he said.
For Muhammad Zaharaddeen, a commercial barber at Railway Quarters, Bauchi, the shortage of electricity supply has almost crippled his business. “Our business which largely depends on electricity is no longer booming due to power shortage.
“Some of us have switched to generators as source of power, but the problem is that some customers cannot afford to pay the charges. I am very lucky; I am into other small businesses otherwise I cannot afford to take care of my family.
“If not because of the other businesses that are sustaining me, the hair cut business can no longer take care of me due to power shortage,” he said.
Aminu Musa, a resident of Jahunawa Quarters, said, “We have stopped keeping meat and soups in our refrigerators due to power shortage.
“With this development, we should expect more suffering ahead. I have already informed my family that they should put things in order so that we will not waste our items.”
Another resident and a tailor, Ibrahim Muhammad, said, “I have concluded plans to start going to Wunti Market to join my brother in business, pending the time the power supply will stabilise.
“We have arranged how to run his business together pending when the power supply will return. We are very lucky; the work will only last for four days. One has to plan, otherwise, it would be a serious problem”, he said.
Power outage affecting businesses, hospital services in Taraba
Yau Ibrahim, a journalist working for ROCK FM Radio Station in Jalingo, told Daily Trust that with the current outage, residents of Jalingo and its environs are further plagued with power outage which has been part of them for many years.
Another resident, Bulus, said the power outage will have serious effects on small businesses that rely on power supply from the national grid.
He said because of the cost of petrol and diesel, many owners of small businesses could not afford to use generators for the whole day for their businesses.
Bulus explained that Taraba State has no reason to stay for days without electricity because at present the 40 megawatts Kashimbilla hydro power station located in the southern part of the state is working.
He said, however, the station is now only supplying electricity to Donga, Ibbi, Wukari, Takum and Ussa local government areas.
He further stated that the Kashimbilla hydro power project ought to have been constructed in such a way that it will be an alternative source of power for the entire Taraba State.
Butchers and frozen fish sellers also decried the outage, saying the development would cause losses to them as the storage facilities they use in storing fish and meat rely on electricity.
Similarly, the Federal Medical Centre Jalingo was recently reconnected to the national grid by YEDC, which had earlier disconnected it.
Daily Trust gathered that it was shortly after the centre was reconnected that the outage hit the state. Dr Aisha Adamu Sani, the medical director of the centre, told Daily Trust that the hospital is currently spending huge sums of money to run its power generating machines for its services.
Apart from the Federal Medical Centre, other health facilities in the state are also affected by the power outage.
Findings further revealed that millers, welders and grinding machine operators are lamenting the situation.
Mallam Haruna Garba, a grinding machine operator in Jalingo main market, said he has shut down his business temporarily because of the outage.
Car battery and phone chargers have also increased their charges as a result of the power outrage, Daily Trust gathered.
A phone charger, Dauda Zubairu, said he has no option than to increase his charges from one hundred naira to two hundred naira because he is now using his generator to charge the phones.
He said he normally relies on electricity from the national grid for his business. He added that since yesterday the number of people bringing taking their phones to him to be charged has increased.
Water scarcity in Yobe
The residents of Damaturu, the state capital of Yobe, have expressed concerns over the scarcity of water and lack of power supply.
Daily Trust learnt that the residents of the city are lamenting the skyrocketing prices of soft drinks, and water by marketers and commercial water vendors.
It was reported that the normal price of 12 jerry cans of water which used to be between N400 and N500, is now between N1200 to N1500 in some places due to the power outage.
Additionally, soft drink sellers have increased the prices of their goods, as they are purchasing diesel to keep their drinks cool for consumption.
Bukar Madu, a resident of Nayi-Nawa, told Daily Trust that Damaturu is facing significant water scarcity and that the worst hit areas are; Pawari, Shagari, Nayi-Nawa, Pampamari, and Zanna Zakariya Housing Estate.
A soft seller in the city, Musa Adamu, told Daily Trust that the soft drink prices are increasing in Damaturu, due to the challenge of electricity supply.
“We have not had electricity for almost two days now. I have to rely on a generator. Getting fuel to power it is expensive due to the increase in the pump price of fuel. I usually depend on electricity to cool my drinks.
“Some of our colleagues in this business have found an alternative by depending on ice blocks to cool their drinks, because people need cool water and drinks. Without reliable electricity, our businesses will continue to struggle.
‘‘So, increasing the price of our drinks is the best solution now, people should understand our situation. What we increased is not more than N50 or N100; we must go with the reality. Things would get better when the electricity supply is restored,’’ he assured.
Craftsmen are not left out. Yusuf Bukar, a craftsman in Damaturu, said the lack of power supply was affecting productivity and increasing operation costs.
‘‘When suspected Boko Haram members vandalised our electricity towers along Gujba road last year, we had a similar issue, and these unnecessary electricity disruptions are affecting our lives.
“Yesterday I spent a lot of money. If this problem persists, we will lose our customers because I cannot meet deadlines.
“I bought fuel at the cost of N10,000; I have to use generator throughout the day to meet my customers’ demands because they have paid me already and they paid me everything, so I have no reason to fail them,” he said.
Previous blackouts in region
Recall that the region has experienced blackouts on several occasions due to the activities of vandals in the area. Towers T193, T194 and T195 on the Damaturu -Maiduguri 330kV Single were destroyed on 28th December, 2023, using Improvised Explosives (IEDs).
Similarly, the TCN, in a statement on May 27, 2024, disclosed that two of its towers, T193 and T194, along the Damaturu -Maiduguri 330kV Single Circuit Transmission Line, were again destroyed by vandals.
The TCN, said it believed the attack happened at about 10:15pm“when the 150MVA power transformer at Molai Substation tripped at the same time as the 330kV transmission line supplying bulk power to Maiduguri from the Damaturu transmission substation”.
The company explained that “after the line tripping, efforts were made by TCN engineers to close the Mulai – Damaturu line to enable bulk transmission of electricity, which failed repeatedly.
But TCN lines engineers along with security operatives patrolled the line and discovered that towers 193 and 194 along the 330kV transmission line were brought down using an explosive device, whose fragments are scattered at the site of the incident.
“The area affected by this incident is Maiduguri and its environs. Two out of the towers in question are the towers affected by vandalism attack”, it added.
Also, the region witnessed a 14-day blackout that affected 17 states in the north in October, 2024.
Blackout caused by lack of alternative transmission line to North-east
A retired staff of the TCN, who asked to be anonymous as he is a contractor with the company, said the blackout in the region is due to lack of alternative line to wheel electricity to the area.
“The blackout is the only option the TCN has. It is only the 132kV Jos-Bauchi-Gombe that supplies electricity to the region and if any problem is encountered on the line then the entire region will be in total darkness except for places where electricity from the hydro dams can reach”, he said.
He added that the federal government had been in talks with the World Bank to fund a double line project for the region, but it is yet to materialise.
Reconstruction will provide back up for future faults – TCN
Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has explained that when completed, the reconstruction exercise would provide a backup for the region incase of faults on the Jos-Bauchi-Gombe transmission line
A statement by TCN’s General Manager for Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah said, “the new transmission tower is also being installed to enhance the resilience and flexibility of the network, allowing the Bauchi and Gombe substations to act as mutual backups in the event of maintenance or fault.
“Additionally, Jos will be able to supply Bauchi substation directly through a 132kV transmission line whenever the primary 330kV connection via Gombe is unavailable”, she said.
She said the arrangement enhances power reliability, diversifies transmission routes, and improves emergency response efficiency.
She went on to state that the TCN remains committed to strengthening Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure to facilitate a more stable and effective bulk power supply.
“The company appeals for the patience of affected consumers during the period and assures that normal electricity delivery will resume immediately after the project’s completion”, she added. (Daily trust)
