Power Shortages Paralyze Business Operations Across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States
By Kasim Isa Muhammad
Kanempress News
12th March 2024
In Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states, the combination of unreliable power supply exacerbated by insurgency activities has continued to cripple businesses and daily activities.
Termed the BAY states, these areas in the North East have suffered significant damage to critical infrastructure like power transmission lines due to the insurgency.
In Maiduguri, Borno State, the transmission line from the National Grid supplying electricity has been destroyed, while a new 50-megawatt station built by NNPC is undergoing repairs, leaving residents reliant on costly generators, severely impacting businesses and even nighttime activities due to curfews.
Similarly, Yobe State faces parallel challenges, with power outages driving up operating costs for businesses like Cedars and Unicorn Hotel Services in Damaturu.
The increased reliance on expensive diesel generators has strained profits and prompted calls for government intervention to address the situation, including curbing diesel price hikes.
In Adamawa State, residents and businesses in Yola lament a significant decline in power supply hours, resulting in discomfort, increased fuel expenses, and financial strain on businesses like Duragi Hotels.
The inconsistency in power supply and high diesel costs have hindered profitability and forced businesses to borrow to sustain operations.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) were unsuccessful, while underlying factors such as gas supply shortages to generating companies and vandalism of electricity infrastructure exacerbate the challenges faced by residents and businesses in the region.
