By Olalekan Adetayo
In many parts of the country today, one common factor that cannot be missed is the coughing roar of generators. The situation is the same whether in shops, homes, or small workshops. Across the country, darkness has become routine and electricity the exception. In a nation richly endowed with energy resources, millions of citizens are once again trapped in a cycle of prolonged blackouts that has turned daily life and economic activity into a struggle against the dark.
The matter is made worse because the backup options—petrol and diesel—do not come cheap. A shop owner must calculate how much petrol will be needed for the night; a small factory may shut its gates earlier than planned because of lack of power. How a country of over 200 million people has become accustomed to living permanently on the edge of darkness is a question that has yet to produce the required answer.
Saying that Nigerians are currently experiencing prolonged outages across many states is merely stating the obvious. Power generation is clearly falling far below national demand, with entire communities relying almost entirely on generators, while businesses and households spend more on fuel than on electricity. What Nigerians are experiencing is no longer occasional outages but a systemic collapse of reliable electricity supply.
So pronounced is the problem that frustrated Nigerians are calling out the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu. Across social media platforms, I have come across posts where people confer on him hilarious chieftaincy titles to vent their anger. In one instance, he was depicted in full royal regalia and addressed as “His Imperial Majesty, Adebayo Adelabu Penkelemisi, Okunkun Birimu Birimu I, the Olokunkun of Okunkun Kingdom”. That sarcastic title can be translated to mean “King of utter darkness” or “Lord of profound darkness”. Do I need to say more? My late uncle, whom I often reference here, used to say that truth sometimes emerges through jokes.
The impact of this unfortunate situation is real, and Nigerians are paying a heavy price. Families now live without light for most of the day—or even the week. They besiege the homes of the privileged few who have generators to charge their mobile phones and other appliances. The experience is even more harrowing in areas where residents rely on boreholes for water supply. Without electricity, water also becomes scarce. People wake up very early in the morning to queue wherever it is available. Students are unable to study at night due to a lack of power, while food spoilage is becoming increasingly common as refrigerators cannot run consistently.
On the health front, the blackout is taking a toll on quality of life. The heat brings constant discomfort in homes. There are also growing security concerns in darkened communities, where criminal activities thrive in the absence of light. Electricity is no longer a convenience; it is a basic condition for modern living.
The crushing effect of blackouts on businesses is enormous. Owners of small businesses—barbers, tailors, welders, and cybercafé operators—are forced to depend on generators, with their profit margins wiped out by fuel costs. Some businesses now close earlier than usual, while others have shut down entirely. I was with a friend recently when his dry cleaner called to say he would be closing earlier than scheduled due to a lack of power, asking him to either come immediately or wait until the following day to collect his clothes.
Even medium and large businesses are not immune to this bizarre situation. Factories are running on diesel generators, with production costs skyrocketing and competitiveness declining. The reality is simple: no economy can grow sustainably on generator power.
Ironically, the excuse from authorities remains a familiar one—gas shortage. Officials are quick to point to inadequate gas supply to power plants as the major cause of the crisis. While this may be technically valid, it raises deeper questions: why should a gas-rich country suffer gas shortages? Why do these explanations resurface every few months?
As far as the power supply is concerned, Nigerians are no longer interested in technical explanations or bureaucratic excuses. They want solutions, not diagnoses. The reason is simple: Nigerians already know that the country has gas, power plants, and regulators. What is missing is the consistent delivery of electricity.
Whose responsibility is it to provide electricity? Without mincing words, electricity supply is one of the most basic responsibilities of any modern government. Without reliable power, businesses cannot grow, jobs cannot expand, investors remain cautious, and citizens lose faith in public institutions. A government that cannot provide electricity inevitably limits the economic future of its people.
Nigeria’s electricity crisis is not just about darkness; it is about lost national productivity. Billions are spent yearly on generators and fuel, manufacturing is weakened, and young entrepreneurs are discouraged. In effect, Nigerians are paying twice—once through electricity tariffs and again through generator fuel.
There is an urgent need for real solutions. Relevant government agencies must fix gas supply chains without excuses—that is what they are paid to do. They must also strengthen transmission infrastructure, ensure accountability among power sector operators, and create a system where electricity supply is predictable and stable. These are responsibilities of the government and regulators, not citizens.
In a nation blessed with abundant energy resources, darkness should never become normal. Yet across Nigeria today, generators hum louder than the national grid. Nigerians are no longer asking why the lights are out; they are asking when the government will finally turn them back on. Officials may continue to cite gas shortages, technical faults, or transmission constraints, but Nigerians have heard these explanations for far too long. What citizens want now are solutions, not diagnoses. Electricity is not a luxury; it is the lifeblood of any modern economy and a basic obligation of government to its people.
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