Residents lament as blackout grounds businesses in Kaduna

Businesses across all sectors of the economy have been grounded following a total blackout for the past two weeks in Kaduna State.

That the blackout started a few days after the pump price of petrol was increased to 1050 naira, which led to a rise in public transportation fares by commercial vehicles.

Several businesses, such as barbing salons, hairdressing, soft drink vendors, and others, were subsequently grounded as shop owners said they could not afford to buy fuel at exorbitant prices.

Jonah Adejor, who sells soft drinks in the heart of Kaduna, said he lost patronage because many customers prefer buying cold drinks, water, and beverages, but since the total blackout, they have disappeared.

Also speaking, Muhammad Imran, who sells beverages along the Kaduna-Abuja road, said, “Travelers buy cold drinks regularly. But since there is no light to make ice water, they no longer have interest. I can only sell about 3,000 naira instead of 15,000 before.”

Surprisingly, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said the blackout affecting parts of Northern Nigeria will persist due to security challenges hindering repairs on critical transmission lines. Despite efforts to restore electricity through alternative means, the TCN said the situation will not be fully resolved anytime soon.

The ongoing blackout, which has lasted days, initially stemmed from vandalism of the Shiroro-Mando transmission line, which provided bulk electricity to the northern states.

To mitigate the impact, the TCN diverted electricity through the Ugwuaji-Apir 330-kilovolt (kV) double-circuit transmission line.

However, a tripping incident on this alternative line further worsened the power supply situation.

Engr Nafisatu Asabe Ali, Executive Director of the Independent System Operator at TCN, explained during a public hearing by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that the repair of the Ugwuaji-Apir line would only provide a limited solution.

She noted that while the line could carry up to 750 megawatts (MW) of power, only 350 MW could be safely transmitted to Kano, Kaduna, and parts of Niger Republic due to voltage stability issues in Kano.

“The larger Shiroro-Mando transmission line, which supplies more power, remains out of service due to insecurity in the area where it was damaged,” she said.

Engr Nafisatu stated that the TCN had received security advice from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) indicating that the area where three towers were destroyed is currently inaccessible due to ongoing security issues.

Despite having the materials needed for repairs, TCN cannot proceed until the security situation improves, she noted.

She said the region is currently sharing 250 MW of electricity with Niger Republic, and when the Ugwuaji-Apir line is restored, the maximum power transmission will reach only 350 MW.

However, the Chairman of NERC, Garba Usman, criticized the TCN for its lack of solutions to prevent equipment failures, particularly transformer explosions, which have contributed to the recurring power outages.

He called for stronger protective measures to avoid transformer fires that disrupt the entire grid.