The prolonged power outage experienced in Kano over the past 10 days has disrupted socio-economic activities across the metropolis.
Some Kano residents who spoke to journalists on Sunday lamented that the situation — compounded by recurrent national grid failures — had left many communities in darkness, affecting businesses and households.
Many entrepreneurs also decried the adverse impact of the blackout on their operations.
A hotelier and bar owner, Mr Jude Michael, from the Sabon Gari area of Fagge Local Government, described the situation as frustrating.
Michael said he had lost customers due to the lack of electricity to preserve drinks.
“I have been running on a generator for days, which is making me incur losses. Sometimes customers come, and other times they do not. It is not encouraging,” he said.
A welder in the Dakata quarters of Nasarawa LGA, Abubakar Bala, said relying on diesel to keep his business running was unsustainable.
“We have paid for electricity, yet we do not have access. [b]If power is not restored soon, my business might collapse,” [/b]he said.
Bala urged the government to resolve the issue and consider alternative power sources.
Another welder in Tarauni LGA, Aminu Sani, said he had suspended operations due to the high cost of fuel needed to run his generator.
“We charge more when we use generators, but not everyone can afford the increased prices. Now, we are stranded without work,” he said.
A frozen food dealer along Zaria Road, Manu Garba, said the persistent outage had plunged many business owners into debt as they struggled to prevent their goods from perishing.
“We had expected to make good sales during Easter, even if the profit would be minimal due to the country’s economic situation. But the epileptic power supply since then has pushed many of us into serious debt.
Cartons of frozen chicken and fish got spoiled after a week. While some of us managed to salvage what we could, others were not so lucky,” he said.
A hairdresser in Kumbotso, Bunmi Ola, also said the persistent outage had left many businesses heavily indebted.
She described the situation as a huge blow to those relying on electricity for survival.
Ola added that, despite their losses, electricity companies were still issuing estimated bills.
However, mobile phone charging operators reported increased patronage.
One such operator, Malam Isa Umar, said he had raised his prices due to fuel costs, charging between ₦150 and ₦200 per phone.
Checks across the state further revealed that the water supply had also been affected, with the price of a 25-litre jerrycan rising from ₦100 to ₦200 in some areas.
The Head of Corporate Communications at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Sani Bala, attributed the drop in supply across the franchise area to ongoing network upgrades and vegetation control on feeders.
Bala said the maintenance was necessary to improve infrastructure and ensure safety for engineers working on the network.
He added that the upgrades were part of efforts to sustain progress in electricity distribution, including longer supply hours and improved service delivery.