Residents and business owners across parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried a blackout lasting over a week, saying it has crippled economic activities, destroyed perishable goods and driven up household expenses.
Areas affected include Kubwa, Nyanya, Dutse, Gishiri, Jahi, Gwarinpa, Dawaki and Dei-Dei.
Small businesses that rely on electricity to preserve goods and run equipment have been hardest hit, with many forced to depend on generators and inverters despite rising fuel costs.
A Kubwa resident, Joel Osema, described the power supply in the area as erratic, saying households had been forced to seek alternative sources of electricity.
“We are actually coping. The situation is very, very epileptic. But what do we do? We have to source other means of power generation,” he said.
Osema said running generators had added financial pressure on residents, including those on premium supply. He noted that Band A customers, who are billed for 21 hours of daily supply, sometimes remain without power until after 11 a.m.
“It is a terrible situation. Very, very terrible,” he said.
Businesses Absorb Rising Costs
Business owners said the outage had inflated their operating costs and eroded profits, with some unable to raise prices for fear of losing customers.
Abdulsalim Adeni, who runs a laundry in Kubwa, said he was spending more on diesel and petrol to meet customers’ demands.
“It’s a whole lot without light because we’re facing difficulties. The cost of fuel now is quite on the high side,” he said.
Adeni said raising service charges was difficult because customers could move to areas with better power supply. He added that the blackout had disrupted his working hours and raised security concerns, sometimes forcing him to work until midnight.
“Because of my own security, if it’s not because of this security man, I won’t work here in the night,” he said.
A frozen fish seller in Kubwa, Naomi John, said the outage made it hard to preserve her stock and forced her to spend more on alternative power. She said higher prices could drive customers to competitors.
At Dutse Market, another frozen food dealer, Fatima Muhammed, said she lost fish and chicken worth over N100,000.
“All my market melted. Freezer is now empty. We buy light on Band A but we don’t see light. Even when they bring it, it stays for only a few hours,” she lamented.
Eniola Aderenle, a food vendor in Kubwa, said she lost food items bought in bulk and stored to last a month.
“I have lost a lot of money; this is very frustrating and annoying,” she said.
Frozen food dealer Kunle Babalola said the loss of his stock had left him struggling to repay a bank loan taken to finance his business.
“I am so sad; I have lost so much money. The bank I took a loan from to stock my shop is after me; what am I supposed to do?” he said.
For barber Emeka Chukwu, relying on a generator has become unsustainable. He said he now spends about N1,500 on fuel to provide haircuts he charges N2,000 for.
David Okon, who operates a business centre in Wuse 2, said he had been on a generator for a week, forcing him to raise his printing charges.
“I do printing and online registration. I have been on generator for one week. I now charge N100 for a page I used to charge N50,” he said.
Households Also Suffer
Residents said the blackout had also disrupted household activities, including access to water and children’s ability to study at night.
Becky Umukoro, a housewife and mother of five, said food stored in her refrigerator had gone bad, describing the situation as frustrating and disappointing.
Isabella Osahon called for urgent steps to address the country’s persistent electricity challenges, while Robert Are, Dupe Ogbede and Elizabeth Okoro, all Kubwa residents, urged the immediate restoration of power.
AEDC Blames Transmission Fault
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) attributed the outage to a technical fault on the 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line.
In a public announcement dated October 9, 2026, the company assured customers that efforts were underway to restore supply.
AEDC said the fault occurred on a line belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), disrupting supply across several locations, including Garki, parts of Apo, Asokoro, Wuse Zones 1-7, Wuse 2, Wuye, Jabi, Utako, Jahi, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Dawaki, Dutse, Dei-Dei, Suleja and their environs.
“The technical team of TCN is working to rectify the fault and restore grid stability,” the company stated.
It added that supply would be restored to all affected areas once the fault was cleared.
AEDC also said a heavy storm on October 7 collapsed three transmission towers along the Apo-Karu-Keffi-Akwanga line, affecting supply to the Masaka and Keffi axis.
