Residents of Kurudu, Orozo, and Karshi communities on the outskirts of Abuja are facing a severe electricity crisis that has persisted for about two months, leaving both homes and businesses struggling to cope.
The affected areas, which fall under the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), have been experiencing highly inconsistent power supply.
Many residents say the situation has become unbearable, with electricity sometimes lasting only a few seconds in an entire day.
Several residents described the experience as “frustrating,” noting that brief flashes of lightoften at night are followed by what they consider excessive estimated billing at the end of the month.
Miss Jennifer, a hairdresser in Kurudu, explained how the situation has disrupted her business operations.
“It has been very challenging. Sometimes, I can’t even operate for a few hours because I have to rely on fuel for my generator, which now costs N1,300 per litre. It’s becoming almost impossible to keep the business running,” she lamented.
A welder in the area, Mr. Ogidi, also expressed his frustration over the unreliable power supply.
“How can I work properly when electricity comes for just a few seconds and goes off again? I have lost so many jobs because I cannot predict when the power will be on.”
For Mrs. Udoka, who runs a cold room business, the prolonged outage has forced her to shut down temporarily.
“I had to shut down because running a generator at over N1,000 per litre of fuel is unsustainable. It’s affecting my income and the storage of perishable goods,” she said.
Kazeem, a laundry operator, echoed similar concerns, saying, “We sometimes see the light for like 1 minute, and then it’s gone. How are we supposed to survive under these conditions?”
The problem extends beyond Abuja’s outskirts to nearby Mararaba Loko in Nasarawa State, where residents report a similarly poor power situation.
Mrs. Chidera, a tailor in the area, said: “We barely see light here; it comes once in a blue moon. It is impossible to plan anything, and businesses are suffering.
“Sometimes we barely have light for a few seconds in a day, yet your prepaid meter is reading fast as if we’ve been using electricity non-stop.
“It doesn’t make sense, and it’s putting more pressure on people who are already struggling to survive.”
In response, AEDC acknowledged the complaints through its official social media channels, apologizing for the disruption and assuring residents that the issue is not intentional.
“We understand that the power supply situation in Kurudu community has been abysmal recently, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.
“Kindly be assured that this is not deliberate. Power supply will be normalized in the area once the allocation improves,” the statement read.
Despite the assurance, residents are demanding urgent intervention, stressing that two months of near-total power outage is taking a serious toll on livelihoods and daily living.
