Business owners in Jos, the Plateau state capital on Thursday celebrated the restoration of power following a debilitating 10-day blackout that affected parts of northern Nigeria.
Power was restored at 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday, bringing relief to shops, beer parlours, and restaurants that suffered significant losses during the outage.
The blackout began when a 330kV transmission line between Benue and Enugu states failed, leaving numerous northern states, including Plateau, in darkness.
The disruption not only halted daily activities but also severely impacted the local economy, with many businesses reporting a drop in sales and increased operational costs due to reliance on alternative power sources.
In the aftermath of the outage, many business owners expressed their frustrations.
Read also: TCN restores bulk supply to seven northern states after days of blackout
“We lost customers every day, Without power, we couldn’t operate properly, and it felt like we were losing our livelihoods”; lamented Nkechi, a shop owner in Rantiya.
Beer parlours and shops echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the financial strain that the blackout caused.
Earlier this week, Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, addressed the power crisis, stating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had taken decisive action. He called for an urgent meeting with Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to expedite restoration efforts across affected regions.
Onanuga also condemned the underlying issues contributing to the outage, specifically mentioning vandalism and the deliberate destruction of public assets. “President Tinubu is saddened by these reports and is committed to ensuring that such incidents do not repeat,” he stated.
As power gradually returned to normal, residents expressed cautious optimism. “We are relieved, but we hope this doesn’t happen again,” said Abdul, a local shopkeeper.
Many have called for increased security around critical infrastructure to prevent future disruptions.
BusinessDay reports that the power restoration has rekindled hope for business recovery in Jos, but the lingering effects of the blackout will likely take time to overcome. As residents adjusts back to regular operations, stakeholders are urging for systemic improvements to prevent similar crises in the future.
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