Nigerians To Power Minister: No Freezing Freezers, We’re Still In Darkness

*** Say they still depend on generators, solar***

By Attah Anthony, Jalingo; Richard Ndoma, Calabar; Francis Okoye, Maiduguri; Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja; Aza Msue, Makurdi; Emmanuel Mgbeahurike, Owerri; Abu Nmodu, Minna; Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti; Angela Nkwo-Akpolu, Owerri; Felix Igbekoyi, Asaba; Damilola Origbemisuyi, Akure; Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin; Kabir Wurma, Birnin Kebbi

Nigerians across several states have disputed recent claims by the Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, that electricity supply has improved so significantly that some Nigerians are asking him to slow down power reforms because their freezers are overworking.

Findings by LEADERSHIP Sunday correspondents across the country show that electricity supply remains uneven. While some communities now receive between 18 and 22 hours of electricity daily, others continue to endure prolonged outages, with some areas getting only a few hours a day or remaining without public electricity for months or even years.

TARABA: Residents Reject Claim of Excess Electricity

Residents of Taraba State have rejected the minister’s claim, insisting that many communities still endure prolonged power outages.

In Jalingo, some areas connected to Band A feeders experience relatively regular electricity supply, including FGGC, Lassandi, GRA, Area Command, Airstrip, Shavon, and Mile Six. Residents of Ussa, Donga, Takum and parts of Wukari also reported a relatively stable supply.

However, findings showed that electricity supply remains poor in many other communities. Of the state’s 16 local government areas and two special development areas, only a limited number of communities were found to enjoy more than 20 hours of electricity daily.

A resident of Mayo-Gwoi in Jalingo, Mrs Josephine Maiso, dismissed the minister’s claim.

“This is not true. I don’t think there is even a 20% electricity supply in this country because we are suffering. In my area, we get at least two hours of electricity, sometimes three hours,” she said.

Another resident, Masuma Ubangida, similarly said her area receives electricity for about two to three hours daily, with occasional periods when residents wait an entire day for the supply to be restored.

“The electricity is not enough for us. Maybe their electricity supply is good where they live, but in our area, we are suffering,” she said.

Similarly, Jalingo-based businesswoman, Mrs Zulie Ibrahim, described the minister’s comment as “the joke of the century,” saying she depends mainly on solar power to operate her deep freezers and preserve drinks because of unreliable public electricity supply.

CROSS RIVER: Communities Groan Under Prolonged Blackout

Residents of Bokomo Community, Four Corners, in Ikom Local Government Area, said they have experienced total blackout since the beginning of the year.

Mrs Stella Edim said the prolonged outage had forced residents to turn to solar energy.

“Not that we don’t have electricity poles, the poles and cables are here. We don’t know what is wrong with the officials at the power holding company, so we haven’t had electricity since the beginning of this year. We have suffered a total blackout,” she lamented.

Mr John Eklegbor, a resident of Akparabong community in Ikom LGA, said his community had been without electricity for three years and called on the authorities to intervene.

He also criticised politicians for abandoning the community after elections.

“They only know us during campaigns when they are seeking political offices and looking for whom to support them. Immediately they achieve their aim, they abandon our community in the blackout,” he said.

In the Calabar metropolis, Mr Augustine Edem of Ekondo Lane, White House Street, complained of epileptic supply. According to him, electricity is available for only about three days in a seven-day week.

“In a week of seven days, we only have electricity for three days in the area,” he said.

BORNO: Maiduguri Residents Still Struggle for Power

Most areas of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, continue to experience inadequate electricity supply from the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC).

Babagana Goni, who operates an ice-block business around Hospital Road, said the supply sometimes lasts only three to four hours within a 24-hour period. He said that frozen ice blocks sometimes melt when customers fail to arrive on time, resulting in losses.

Ahmed Ali, a provision store owner in Bolori, said that without the solar installation at his premises, electricity would not last more than five hours a day. Even then, he said, the supply was usually divided between morning and night.

He expressed concern that despite the Maiduguri Gas Plant’s connection to the national grid, residents still struggle to power refrigerators, fans, and air conditioners.

A YEDC staff member, who spoke anonymously, said Band A customers receive about 18 hours of electricity, rationed between morning and night, while Band B customers receive about six hours of supply.

KOGI: There Is Improvement, But No 24-Hour Supply

There has been an improvement in electricity supply across Kogi State, but none of the Band A, B, C, D or E categories is currently receiving 24-hour power.

Some communities, however, record between 18 and 20 hours daily.

Baba Usman, a resident of Phase 1 in Lokoja, said residents of Phase 1, Phase 2 and Lokongoma now receive between 18 and 20 hours of electricity daily, providing some relief to households and businesses.

Residents of Gadumo and Ganaja reported between 12 and 14 hours daily. Rotimi Boluwaga, a resident of the 200 Housing Estate, said supply could nevertheless be interrupted for days whenever faults occur, forcing residents to depend on alternative sources.

Similar improvements have been reported in Okene and its environs, but parts of Kogi East continue to experience epileptic supply. The disparity between the three senatorial districts remains a concern.

BENUE: “Our Freezers Are Not Freezing”

Residents of several communities in Makurdi expressed disbelief over the minister’s comment about freezers freezing.

Terfa Hiam, a resident of Logo and Akpehe, said his area gets only about three hours of electricity daily.

“Our freezers are not freezing here in Logo 1 and Akpehe up to Iorhom road and down George Akume Way, hardly you have four hours of light. People are still buying ice blocks to use,” he said.

Joseph Onoja, who lives in Gyado Villa along Gboko Road, said his area receives seven to eight hours because it is connected to a Band A feeder.

“We are connected on 33KVA, and we are Band A customers. We do have a seven- to eight-hour electricity supply in the area here and at Judges’ Quarters. We pay high electricity bills here,” he said.

Residents of Nyogyungu, parts of Kanshio and Logo 2 told LEADERSHIP Sunday that they receive only two to three hours of electricity. Some alleged that supply is rationed among communities.

IMO: Electricity Remains a Luxury in Some Communities

Electricity availability varies widely across Imo State, including Owerri, Emii, New Owerri, Avu, Ulakwo, and surrounding communities.

Uzoma Uwakwe, a resident of Umuozu in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area, described the claim of improved electricity supply as “total fallacy and wishful thinking.”

“We have not had electricity for the last month,” he said, adding that electricity had become a luxury in the community.

Another resident, Duru Oliver, said residents of Umuduru in Nneiri hardly know when electricity will be supplied because the light is only flashed intermittently. He said repeated representations to the authorities had produced no result.

In parts of New Owerri, the Orashi Electricity Company has taken over supply from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), including areas around Protea Hotels, Akanchawa Road and Second Inland Road.

However, residents of Umuguma, the World Bank area, and the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area reportedly receive less than 3 hours of electricity daily.

Residents said the cost of powering generators, including for pumping water, remains a burden and criticised what they described as exaggerated claims about public electricity supply.

NIGER: Supply Averages Six Hours in Some Areas

On their part, residents of Niger State, including the state capital, reported an average of about 6 hours of electricity daily, along with frequent transformer failures.

Yusuf Audi, a resident of Tunga in Minna, said his community sometimes receives electricity from about 7 pm to 1 am, while at other times residents have to wait until the following day.

In Bida, Abdulkadir Mustafa said residents also receive about six hours of power, with feeders sometimes supplied alternately.

He said the situation is worse in Lapai, where broken transformers have disrupted supply.

On Shiroro Road, Mustafa Abdulkarim said a transformer had been out of service for more than two weeks.

“For over two weeks, our transformer blew up, and the Abuja Electricity Company is expecting us to fix it or beg the government or prominent people to provide us with a new transformer. And after providing the transformer, they will charge us on the same transformer we provided,” he said.

He added that without assistance from the state government or politicians, communities could remain without electricity for months.

OSUN: Residents Protest Erratic Supply Despite Band A Classification

Residents of several communities across Osun State have complained of erratic electricity supply despite being placed in the Band A category.

Communities including Woru, Agunbelewo, Adeleke Estate, and Okinni in the Egbedore Local Government Area, as well as Erin-Osun, Ilobu, and Ifon-Orolu, reported outages lasting at least 10 hours daily.

Mr Bola Adeniyi, a resident of Ifesowapo Zone C, Woru, said his community had struggled to receive four hours of electricity daily for four days.

He said residents were particularly concerned about the imposition of Band A status by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), which they considered unjustified given the hours of supply.

EKITI: Better Supply, But Higher Tariffs

In Ado-Ekiti and other towns, residents said electricity supply has improved to about 15 hours daily. They nevertheless complained about the increase in electricity tariffs accompanying the improvement.

Mr Sunday Adekunle said supply had improved considerably but was often brought late at night and maintained into the early morning, when many residents were not at home.

He added that in some areas, the supply was not strong enough to power household appliances properly.

Mrs Felicia Olumide said the improvement appeared to have coincided with more consumers being placed on Band A.

“If you use a pre-paid, you may have to spend close to N25,000 for a power subscription less than every two weeks, but if you are not using pre-paid, you will have to pay over N30,000 every month,” she said.

She added that some communities in the southern part of the state still have no electricity.

DELTA: Majority Still Depend on Generators and Solar

Electricity supply across Delta State remains unstable, particularly in Asaba and other major communities.

Many residents reportedly depend on solar power and generators. Residents connected to the 11kV line, said to constitute more than 80 per cent of consumers, reportedly receive less than 50 hours of electricity in a week. Those on the 33kV line reportedly receive up to 100 hours.

Mr James Oturo said unexpected outages and power fluctuations had disrupted critical operations and caused financial losses.

“These fluctuations have reduced the efficiency and lifespan of devices, like refrigerators and computers, to malfunction, resulting in increased maintenance costs and the need for premature replacements,” he said.

He added that electrical instability had also caused data loss in digital devices.

Mary Dalimore, a computer scientist, said data loss can have consequences for business operations, strategic planning and customer relations, often requiring costly recovery measures.

GOMBE: Wide Gap Between Communities

Residents of Gombe State reported significant differences in electricity availability between neighbourhoods.

Asmau Dahiru, a resident of Federal Lowcost in Gombe metropolis, said some areas receive approximately 20 hours of electricity daily, while communities such as Bomala and Wuro Biriji receive as little as 3 hours.

Isah Muazu of Zambuk in Kwami Local Government Area said the situation was worse in remote communities, where residents could spend several days without electricity.

The contrasting experiences suggest that while some residents may be enjoying extended electricity supply, others within the same state continue to have inadequate access.

KEBBI: Transmission Line Collapse Worsens Supply

In Kebbi State, electricity supply has also been affected by the collapse of the 330kV Kainji-Birnin Kebbi transmission tower line following heavy windstorms and rainfall.

TCN engineers have been working to restore the transmission corridor, while alternative transmission arrangements have provided a limited supply.

Residents of Birnin Kebbi rejected the minister’s assertion that Nigerians were asking for slower reforms because their freezers were freezing.

Shop owner Mohammed Suleiman asked: “Where is the light? We haven’t had NEPA for over a month.”

He said soft drinks, sachet water, yoghurt, Fura, and other local drinks were destroyed due to the prolonged outage.

Madam Ngozi, an ice-block seller in Jega Local Government Area, said electricity had recently been restored through alternative transmission arrangements but that supply remained limited to about three to four hours daily.

KWARA: Regular Supply in Some Communities

Kwara State presents a more positive picture, with residents reporting substantial improvements compared with previous years.

Mr Kayode Okunola, a resident of the Egbejila-Airport area of Ilorin, said his community now enjoys between 18 and 20 hours of electricity daily.

In Offa, Kwara South, Mr Gbolahan Balogun said residents receive between 8 and 10 hours of electricity daily.

However, LEADERSHIP Sunday observed that many areas in downtown Ilorin receive about five hours of electricity daily, although the supply was described as regular.

ONDO: Sharp Differences Across Communities

Electricity supply in Ondo State varies significantly from one community to another.

Residents of Oba-Ile in Akure reported more than 22 hours of electricity daily, while those in Alagbaka said they receive between 18 and 20 hours. Residents of Osukoti reported about eight hours.

At Custom Junction along Ondo Road in Akure, however, residents said they sometimes spend two to three days without electricity.

In Akungba-Akoko, home to Adekunle Ajasin University, residents said they receive electricity for barely two hours daily, while Ido-Ani has reportedly been without electricity for years.

Some prolonged outages were attributed by residents to vandalism and infrastructure damage rather than to the national grid. They said electricity wires had been removed by vandals in some communities, and damaged poles had not been repaired.

Across the states surveyed, residents’ experiences show that electricity supply remains uneven. While some Band A communities now report significantly longer hours of supply, many other communities continue to depend on generators and solar systems or endure prolonged blackouts.