Yola blackout raises business costs, puts small enterprises under pressure

For more than three months, the hum of generators has become an unwelcome soundtrack to daily life in parts of Yola and its environs as prolonged electricity outages continue to disrupt businesses, institutions and households.

Areas including Hayin Gada, Federal Housing Estate, Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Kofare and surrounding communities have been particularly affected by the unreliable power supply.

For many small business owners, the blackout has gone beyond inconvenience, becoming an additional financial burden at a time when the cost of fuel, transportation and other essentials is already putting pressure on household incomes and business operations.

The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) had earlier attributed the disruption to maintenance activities along the Jos-Bauchi and Gombe feeders. The prolonged outage has, however, left many residents questioning how long they would have to endure the economic consequences of the electricity crisis.

In July, residents of Girei Local Government Area and neighbouring communities reportedly took to the streets to protest the persistent power outage, highlighting the growing frustration among electricity consumers.

For small businesses that depend directly on electricity, the impact has been particularly severe. Operators say they are being forced to choose between shutting down, increasing their prices or spending a substantial part of their already limited earnings on alternative sources of power.

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