People always think that because I live in Abuja, everything must be perfect. Some believe we have light 24/7, smooth roads everywhere, and life is just easy. But if you live here like I do, you’ll know that it’s not exactly true especially when it comes to electricity.
The truth is, the power supply in Abuja is not the worst, but it’s not great either. I can’t say we enjoy constant light, but compared to some other places in Nigeria, it’s manageable. In my area, we can have light for like 10 hours a day sometimes more, sometimes less. It’s not stable, but we manage.
There are times when you’ll enjoy light for almost the whole day, and you’ll feel happy thinking, “Maybe things are finally getting better." But before you finish that thought, the light goes off without warning. No explanation. No timetable. Just darkness. And you’ll have to wait and hope it comes back soon.
Some places in Abuja are better off. Areas like Wuse, Gwarinpa, and Asokoro get more stable light compared to places like Lugbe, Kuje, or Nyanya. Even though the power supply is fair in some areas, we still rely a lot on generators. Everyone In my area has their generator. The noise can be annoying, but what can we do? Sometimes, fueling it is more stressful than the light itself. Fuel is expensive and not always available. Some people are now using solar panels which is a better option, but the cost of it is too high for many of us.
One thing that annoys me is the electricity bill. Some people still use the old estimated billing method, and they’re suffering. Imagine not seeing light for more than a month, yet they bring you N20,000 bill. That’s just unfair. Luckily for me, I use prepaid meters but the tariff can kill now, the tariff has increased while the unit is reduced, but it is somehow better than the old method of paying directly to the officials, I only pay for what I use. But even with that, no light is still no light, no matter how much you load.
What I don’t understand is why Nigeria is still struggling with electricity. We have sunshine almost every day why haven’t we invested more in solar energy? We have water bodies and dams what’s going on with hydropower? We even have oil and gas, yet we still don’t have steady light. It doesn’t make sense.
Honestly, I believe that with proper management and less corruption, things can get better. The government needs to invest more in fixing and upgrading the power infrastructure. Many of the transformers are old and can’t carry the load anymore. In my area, when our transformer got spoiled, it took almost a month before they came to fix it. During that time, life was hard. People couldn’t iron clothes, businesses suffered, and people who were into cold drinks couldn't sell because of no light
Living in Abuja has taught me that steady light is not a right in this country it’s a blessing. That’s why when the light comes, you see people rushing to charge phones, iron clothes, and even freeze water. We’ve learned to do everything fast because we don’t know how long the light will stay.
Sometimes I sit and wonder what if we had a 24/7 power supply? Life would be so much easier. Businesses would grow, people would sleep better, and we would save money on fuel. But for now, we’re still managing. We’re used to shouting “Up NEPA” like it’s an achievement anytime they bring the light.
Abuja's power supply is not perfect, but compared to other parts of Nigeria, it’s bearable. It can be better, though we deserve better. And until that day comes, we’ll keep hoping, keep managing, and keep finding ways to survive in this light-and-darkness cycle.
This is my response to day 8 of the #aprilinleo of the inleo daily prompt. If you wish to join this prompt then you can click on this Link
