Power: How Less Can You Get, Nigeria?

Do you remember Aug 14, 2003? The day when more than 50 million North Americans found themselves without power. When a series of faults caused by tree branches touching power lines in Ohio, which were then complicated by human error, software issues, and equipment failures, led to the most widespread blackout in North American history.

“Ohio plant shutdown led to cascading effect on electricity systems in Ontario, Canada, 8 U.S. states. A technical glitch meant the proper alarms didn't show up on their control system, so FirstEnergy wasn't able to react or warn anyone else until it was too late. A cascading effect ensued, and in the end, more than 100 power plants in Ontario and the northeastern U.S. had shut down. There everything came to a standstill as traffic lights, office buildings, subways and airports shut down” (CBC News).

What was your own experience? How did you deal with it? Have you been stuck in an elevator for hours? Had you been forced to walk up the stairs to your apartment on 20th floor? Had you any cash stashed for an emergency, and you were lucky to be able to buy water and food with it? Did you have to throw out the food from your fridge when it started to smell funny?

No, I wasn’t there at that time. I never left Nigeria. But I know fully what people went through at that time. Because that’s how we live in Nigeria. Without power. Every day. No exception.

I don’t need even to do research on Nigerian power sector’s failure to describe the consequences of it. I experience it personally. An average Nigerian village: rarely there’s a fridge, a stove or a TV in a household. Some have diesel/petrol aided generators, but with outrageous gas prices people try to use them sparingly. Food is made to eat at once. If there are any leftovers, they need to be boiled and re-boiled on outside fire pit to keep it safe to eat.

There are rare well-off houses that have solar panels installed. It’s Africa after all. Would make so much sense to use all that solar power. But the cost of purchasing the system and installation is above what a whole village can afford put together.

Failure, again and again, to provide even never satisfactory electricity supply to households and businesses. Less than 45% of Nigeria's population is connected to the power grid whilst power supply difficulties are experienced around 85% of the time and nonexistent in some regions.

At the very best, average daily power supply is estimated at four hours or less. But way too often several days would go by without any power at all. Any power outages or restorations are never announced. You cannot be prepared for it. People struggle to use any chance they have to charge the phones (those who have them), to charge electrical medical devices.

I am lucky to live in the area connected to the power grid. But guess what... About three months ago the power lines were brought down by strong winds and heavy rain. We are still waiting for the federal services to repair it.

The issue with power had not been new, it goes for generations already. Every area of life is affected.

For almost two decades now, Nigerian power reforms changed hands from government owned to private sector and back then forth with no possible balance of power supply in any part of the country. During the back and forth with the private sectors, billions of the taxpayers money have been looted in the process.

Nigeria’s economy is crumbling. In 21st century, the country regresses to medieval way of living with no hope to rise again.