A major power outage has hit the North-East, throwing daily life and business into disarray. The blackout, linked to the construction of new high-voltage towers at the Bauchi 330kV substation, has left millions across Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, and nearby states without electricity for days.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had earlier issued a notice about the planned outage, expected to last from June 10 to June 14. But as the blackout stretches on, frustration is building across affected communities.
In Yola, residents like Hajiya Aisha Babangida were forced to fry all their Sallah meat, unable to refrigerate it. “I prefer to boil and freeze some of the meat, but this power cut ruined that plan,” she said.
The heat has made things worse. With fans and air conditioners out of reach, people are struggling to sleep and carry out daily routines. Some, like Modibbo Kawu, are questioning why there weren’t better plans in place to handle this kind of situation.
Small business owners are taking serious hits. In Bauchi, barbers like Muhammad Zaharaddeen are losing customers. “I now run my shop on a generator, but many clients won’t pay the new price because fuel is expensive. If not for my side hustle, I wouldn’t be able to feed my family,” he shared.
In Jalingo, hospital services have been affected. The Federal Medical Centre, which had just been reconnected to the power grid, is now back to running expensive generators. The Medical Director, Dr. Aisha Adamu Sani, said the hospital is spending large amounts of money daily to keep things running.
Yobe State is facing a water shortage due to the outage. In Damaturu, residents are paying three times the usual price for water. Soft drink vendors have also raised prices. “I can’t cool my drinks without electricity,” said Musa Adamu. “So, I had no choice but to use a generator, which made everything more expensive.”
Other trades have not been spared. Grinding machine operators, welders, tailors, and phone chargers are all feeling the pinch. Yusuf Bukar, a local craftsman, said the lack of power is pushing his customers away. “I spent N10,000 on fuel just to meet my deadline,” he said. “If this continues, I’ll start losing customers.”
The blackout is also linked to frequent vandalism of power towers in the region. Last year, key structures along the Damaturu–Maiduguri transmission line were brought down with explosives. Similar attacks happened again in May, making the power supply even more unstable.
A retired TCN engineer confirmed that there’s currently no backup line for the region. “Right now, the Jos-Bauchi-Gombe line is the only link. If it goes down, the entire region suffers,” he explained. Promised upgrades backed by international funding have not yet come to life.
TCN has assured residents that the ongoing work will eventually provide a backup system and stronger power supply. But for now, many across the North-East are struggling to keep food fresh, businesses open, and daily life on track waiting and hoping for the lights to come back on.
