Residents across several parts of the Federal Capital Territory are counting the cost of prolonged electricity outages, with households struggling to access water and small businesses reporting losses. The disruption has affected daily activities in communities where residents say power has been unavailable for days, with some reporting interruptions lasting weeks.
In Kubwa, a resident, Fatima Muhammad, says the blackout has affected both her household and baking business. Without electricity to operate her water pumping machine, she has run out of water, while some of her baked products have spoiled. She says the losses have made it difficult to manage her business and meet everyday needs.
Complaints have also emerged from Dutse, Bwari, Ushafa and parts of Garki, with residents expressing frustration over the duration of the outages and the pace of efforts to restore supply. Some customers have questioned why areas paying for Band A service are experiencing inconsistent electricity, while landlords’ associations in Ushafa, Dutse and Kubwa are reportedly considering a protest if the situation persists.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company says the disruption in several parts of the territory is linked to a technical fault on the 330-kilovolt Shiroro-Katampe transmission line. In a notice issued on Friday, the company listed Garki, Apo, Asokoro, Wuse, Wuye, Jabi, Utako, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Dutse and other adjoining areas among the locations affected. It says the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s technical team is working to resolve the fault and restore stable supply.
Separately, the Transmission Company of Nigeria announced a planned interruption to enable maintenance at its 132/33-kilovolt Kubwa Substation. The exercise was expected to affect electricity supply to Kubwa, Bwari, Army Resettlement, parts of Dutse Alhaji and nearby communities. The maintenance announcement and the transmission-line fault point to separate operational issues affecting supply across parts of the FCT.
The outages come weeks after the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, spoke of improvements in electricity supply in some areas, saying communities that previously experienced prolonged blackouts were receiving as much as 18 hours of electricity daily. However, the complaints from Abuja residents highlight the uneven experience of consumers and the consequences when supply remains unreliable for homes and businesses.
For affected residents, the immediate concern is when electricity will return and how quickly normal activities can resume. While AEDC says supply will be restored after the transmission fault is cleared, the duration of the disruption has intensified calls for faster technical responses and clearer communication with customers. Until supply stabilises, households and businesses across the affected communities remain exposed to further inconvenience and financial losses.
