Businesses Struggle Amid Severe Power Outages in Kano

Businesses in Nigeria are severely impacted by worsening power outages, particularly in Kano, where the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) serves Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states. Residents experience daily blackouts lasting up to 10 hours, with some going two days without power.

This situation has forced businesses to incur additional costs, such as Musa Abdullahi, a welder, who spends between N8,000 to N12,000 daily on fuel for generators, resulting in lost customers and incomplete jobs. Aisha Sani, a tailor, reported a near 50% drop in earnings due to missed deadlines from power interruptions.

Maryam Ibrahim, a seller of frozen goods, lost N300,000 worth of products during a 48-hour outage. The Nigerian Independent System Operator reported varying megawatt allocations to different distribution companies, with Abuja Disco receiving 539 MW.

Additionally, the National Union of Electricity Employees has issued a strike notice to the federal government, citing unpaid obligations and anti-labor practices. Governor Douy Diri of Bayelsa State has promised improvements in power supply.