Residents and businesses in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states are facing severe hardship as power supply has dropped to just two hours daily, disrupting livelihoods and essential services.
The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) attributed the outage to ongoing system upgrades and vegetation control on power lines, apologizing for the inconvenience while promising restoration soon. However, the prolonged blackout has crippled small businesses, including welding, tailoring, and ice production, while water scarcity has driven up prices.
In Kano, water vendors now sell 25 litres for ₦120, up from ₦70, as most boreholes rely on electricity. Residents queue for hours, with some waking as early as 6 a.m. to secure water. Ice block prices have also doubled.
Jigawa’s welders and traders lament lost income, with one artisan missing a lucrative contract due to the outage. Meanwhile, households resort to abandoned wells for water.
KEDCO assured customers of improved supply post-upgrades but did not specify a timeline. The situation highlights Nigeria’s persistent power crisis, worsening economic strain in the affected states.
