Angry residents of Nasarawa State on Monday trooped to the streets of Lafia, the state capital, protesting what they described as a chronic and unreliable electricity supply, crippling homes and businesses.
Naija News reports that the demonstrators, who marched through major roads in the metropolis, called for urgent government intervention to address what they termed a worsening power crisis.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the protesters decried frequent blackouts, which they said had disrupted economic activities, academic work, healthcare services and overall living conditions in the state.
Speaking during the protest, the leader of the demonstrators, Ibrahim Abdullahi Attama, blamed the situation on dilapidated infrastructure, worn-out transformers, inadequate power allocation and poor maintenance culture.
According to him, the state’s electricity facilities have been left to deteriorate over time, resulting in repeated outages that sometimes last weeks or months.
He pointed out that several essential components of the distribution network, including poles, cables and lines, are visibly old and rusted.
“The situation has reached a critical point,” Daily Trust quoted Attama as saying. “Business operations, educational activities, healthcare services and the overall quality of life of residents are being seriously affected.”
He stressed that the absence of routine and preventive maintenance on power facilities was largely responsible for the recurring blackouts.
Attama appealed to the Nasarawa State Government to conduct a comprehensive audit of the electricity infrastructure and engage relevant federal power agencies to secure improved allocation for the state.
He noted that even when the infrastructure appears functional, supply remains grossly inadequate.
“Even when the infrastructure is functional, the actual supply hours are minimal and unpredictable, indicating a fundamental shortfall in the megawatts made available for distribution,” he said.
“This inadequacy stifles growth and productivity, as businesses cannot rely on a stable power source.”
The protesters insisted that the current allocation to the state falls far short of demand, worsening hardship for residents who now depend heavily on alternative and expensive energy sources.
They urged the government to ensure the immediate replacement of faulty and worn-out transformers and to enforce regular maintenance schedules to restore reliability to the network.
The demonstrators also criticised the management structure overseeing power distribution in the state, describing it as inefficient and largely unresponsive to consumer complaints.
They demanded improved communication, transparency and accountability from the distribution company to residents and business owners.
Attama warned that failure by the authorities to take decisive action could trigger sustained protests.
“We are not asking for too much. We want stable power that can support our livelihoods. If nothing is done, we will continue to express our grievances peacefully until the right thing is done,” he said.
Naija News understands that Electricity Distribution Companies had earlier attributed low power supply nationwide to insufficient gas supply to the national grid and reduced water levels at hydroelectric power plants.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator confirmed that gas shortages had slashed electricity generation to about 4,300 megawatts.
According to the operator, only 692 million standard cubic feet of gas is currently being supplied to the grid, far below the required 1,629 million standard cubic feet needed for optimal generation.
