Electricity consumers in Nigeria’s South-South region have lamented the devastating impact of incessant power outages and exorbitant electricity tariffs on small businesses.
Many business owners and residents have voiced their frustrations, citing the crippling effects of unreliable electricity supply on their livelihoods.
According to a recent survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) across Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Cross River states, businesses are struggling to stay afloat due to poor power supply.
Respondents decried the persistent electricity challenges and the high estimated bills imposed on them despite receiving little to no power.
Residents of Atan Offot, Obio Etoi, Stadium Road, Aka Etinan, Obong Street, Idak Eyop, Mbeierebe Junction, and Atiku Abubakar Way in Uyo metropolis reported prolonged blackouts, with some areas going months without power. Consumers lamented that the little electricity supplied was often inadequate and unreliable.
Mr. Jeremiah Ukpong, a laundry business operator in Obio Etoi, disclosed that he spends N5,000 daily on fuel to power his generator due to the prolonged power outage in his area. He lamented that despite his struggles, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) still issues him high electricity bills for power he does not consume.
Similarly, Mrs. Theresa Donatus, a housewife residing on Atiku Abubakar Way, accused PHED of issuing inflated estimated bills without regard for the actual power supplied.
“As you can see, we have no light and the situation has been like this for sometime now. The unfortunate incident is that PHED has distributed their estimated bills without considering the fact that there is no electricity supply. Before, PHED used to give us N10, 000 monthly billing, now they are giving us N20, 000 without even four hours electricity supply in a day,” she lamented.
Mrs. Patricia Inyang, a journalist living in Ekong Ekpeyong Close, urged PHED to address the issue of estimated billing by providing prepaid meters. She noted that she was being charged N17,000 monthly for electricity in her one-bedroom apartment despite receiving erratic power supply.
Mr. Aniefiok Udonquak, a landlord in Atan Offot, described estimated billing as exploitative, calling on the government to intervene by subsidizing electricity tariffs to support small businesses.
“I have observed that small businesses are closing down, due to epileptic power supply; it is difficult to pay for the estimated billings and sustain the business,” he said.
Rivers Residents Condemn Poor Electricity Service
In Rivers State, residents of Elioparanwo, Okporo, and Rumunduru communities in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area expressed similar frustrations over erratic power supply and excessive billing.
- Mrs. Chinazor Daniel-Chukwu, a resident of Elioparanwo, revealed that they sometimes experience up to 19 days without power, yet PHED still sends them estimated bills as high as N52,000 monthly.
“The most infuriating part is that every month, they bring an estimated bill amounting to N52,000 despite the erratic power supply.
“Even when my husband confronted the officials delivering the electricity bill, they failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the outrageous bill,” she stated.
- Similarly, Mr. Fyneface Diri, a retired public servant in Rumunduru, said he had been forced to invest heavily in solar panels due to four months of uninterrupted blackout.
- Mrs. Oroma Chile, a business owner, also decried the impact of erratic electricity supply on her food business, saying she struggles to preserve cooked meals, leading to significant financial losses.
- Another resident, Mr. Chukwudi Kingsley, a tricycle mechanic in Okporo, attributed the rising cost of groceries and essential goods to the high cost of generator fuel due to persistent power outages.
Mrs. Tolu James, a resident of Rumunduru, urged PHED to urgently address the electricity crisis, noting that the heat and lack of power had negatively affected her family’s well-being.
“We cannot preserve our food or charge our phones, and my toddler cries throughout every night due to the heat and mosquito bites.
“Last night, my husband wanted to be intimate with me, but the heat was unbearable, so we could not do anything,” James lamented.
Cross River Residents Demand Action
In Cross River, residents of Calabar expressed concerns over the worsening electricity situation, stating that Nigerians had become accustomed to poor power supply despite frequent tariff hikes.
- Mr. John Akan, a resident, criticized the government for focusing only on tariff increases while neglecting service improvements.
“The bill I received in my house for January 2025 was N11,800 but for February, it doubled to N22,000, not like we were given more power in February.
‘’In fact, we stayed without power for a week in February due to a little fault in our transformer that took a week before PHEDC responded.
“As always, Nigerians have found a way to cope which is by doing a lot of calculations before going to the market to buy any perishable that needs preservation,” he noted.
More insights
In February 2025, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said “incessant” and “unwarranted” increases in electricity tariffs in Nigeria are hindering the performance of the manufacturing sector.
The body lamented that Nigeria has failed to achieve the purpose of privatising power in 2013, which is to achieve adequate generation and supply of electricity to all Nigerians.