FCT residents lament poor power supply

Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), particularly those in satellite towns, have continued to lament the deteriorating power situation currently plaguing the country.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, several residents noted that the persistent outages are crumbling their businesses.

They argued that despite the massive funds invested in the power sector, there are no commensurate results.

Consequently, they urged the Federal Government to revisit the privatization of the sector.

Mr. Augustine Okoro, a civil servant and resident of 30 Estate in Pegi, Kuje Area Council, complained about the total lack of electricity in his area.

“For almost three days, residents in my area have been in darkness. This is affecting most of us, especially the business operators,” Okoro said.

She added, “Most times, we stay three to four days without electricity; this is not good for a country where so much money has been invested into the sector. My advice is that the Federal Government should revisit privatization, as it is clearly not yielding results.”

Similarly, Mr. Idris Wada, a resident of the Piwoyi community along Airport Road, reported that his neighborhood had been without power for nearly four days.

Wada explained that the lack of stable electricity has paralyzed his business of selling sachet water and soft drinks.

“I don’t have the money to buy a generator, so I have been unable to continue my business. In spite of the huge amounts voted for electricity supply in this country, we are still not getting it. Government must do something,” Wada lamented.

Okon Edem, a welder also residing in Piwoyi, said the situation forces him to buy diesel daily to run his generator. To meet customer demands, he often wakes up in the middle of the night whenever power is briefly restored to perform his work.

Impact on small businesses

In Kubwa, the situation is equally dire. Mrs. Ann Okotie, a resident of the Biazhin area, stated that the supply has become increasingly epileptic, threatening her cold room business. She noted that while they used to receive roughly eight hours of uninterrupted power, supply has now become irregular and rare.

Mrs. Elizabeth Okunsun, a resident of Kubwa village, shared a similar experience, noting that her area had been without power for almost a week.

“Even when there is power, it doesn’t last for three hours. This has led to the collapse of small-scale businesses and a loss of revenue. I appeal to the government to look into this and, if possible, revisit privatization to address these challenges,” she said.

Mr. Moses Aligbe, a business owner in the Dawaki community, also called on the government to address the root causes of the failure to save citizens from losing their primary sources of income.

AEDC responds

In response to these grievances, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) attributed the poor supply to limited energy allocations from the national grid.

In a public notice shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, the AEDC stated, “We are keenly aware of the current low power supply and outages being experienced by customers across our franchise areas. While we strive to maintain a steady flow of energy, several locations are currently facing significant disruptions as a result of limited energy supply from the grid.”

The company assured customers that its technical team is monitoring the situation in real-time and remains committed to restoring normal service as soon as grid allocations improve. The AEDC also apologized for the inconveniences caused to homes and businesses, thanking Nigerians for their patience. (NAN)

Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.

Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.