Living Without Reliable Power: How Nigerians Have Normalised the Electricity Crisis

Published

2 months ago

July 26, 2026

By Jude Umunu

In Nigeria, darkness has become so familiar that many households have developed routines around it. When electricity disappears, someone reaches for the generator. The trader calculates how much fuel remains. The student moves closer to a rechargeable lamp. The business owner worries about spoiled goods. The barber stops work. The phone charger becomes a prized possession.

For millions of Nigerians, unreliable electricity is not an occasional inconvenience. It is a way of life. The consequences are enormous. Small businesses depend heavily on electricity for production, refrigeration, communication and basic operations. When public power supply fails, many turn to generators.

But generators require fuel. Fuel costs money, and the expense ultimately becomes part of the price consumers pay. A barber who spends money on fuel must factor that expense into the cost of a haircut. A restaurant must consider the cost of powering freezers and cooking equipment. A tailor requires electricity to operate sewing machines.

Electricity therefore affects almost every part of the Nigerian economy. For students, unreliable power can interfere with learning. A student preparing for an examination may be forced to study in uncomfortable conditions or depend on rechargeable lamps and alternative power sources.

For workers operating from home, power outages can interrupt online meetings, internet access and productivity. The situation is particularly difficult for businesses that require constant electricity. Cold-room operators, pharmacies, restaurants and other enterprises may suffer financial losses when electricity fails for extended periods.

The generator has consequently become one of Nigeria’s most recognisable symbols of adaptation. From small household generators to large industrial machines, Nigerians have invested heavily in private power generation.

But this comes at a cost beyond money. Generators produce noise and exhaust fumes. In densely populated communities, the sound of generators can become a permanent part of the urban environment. Businesses and households are also exposed to the risks associated with fuel storage and generator operation.

Increasingly, Nigerians are turning to solar power and other alternative energy solutions. Solar panels, inverters and batteries have become more visible in homes, offices and businesses. The growth of alternative energy reflects both technological progress and frustration with the reliability of conventional electricity supply. But these technologies are not equally affordable. A low-income household may not be able to finance a complete solar system.

This means that energy insecurity can deepen existing inequality. Those who can afford alternative power can shield themselves from some of the consequences of electricity failure. Those who cannot remain dependent on an unreliable public supply. The electricity crisis is therefore more than a technical problem.

It is an economic and social problem. Reliable electricity can improve productivity, support businesses, reduce operating costs and strengthen education and healthcare. Nigeria needs a power sector capable of supporting the size and ambitions of its population. That requires investment in generation, transmission and distribution, but also effective regulation, maintenance, accountability and long-term planning.

There must also be greater attention to decentralised energy solutions, renewable energy and technologies that can provide reliable power to communities and businesses. The country has spent years discussing electricity. What Nigerians increasingly need is not another promise but measurable improvement.

The tragedy is that Nigerians have become so accustomed to unreliable power that functioning electricity can sometimes feel like a privilege rather than a basic public service. That mindset must change. Electricity should not be treated as a luxury. A country aspiring to industrialise, create jobs and compete in a digital economy cannot afford to leave businesses, schools and homes uncertain about whether the lights will remain on.

Nigeria’s power problem has lasted long enough to become normal. It should not be allowed to remain normal. The day Nigerians stop planning their lives around power outages will be more than a day when the lights come on. It will be a sign that the country has finally begun to unlock a significant part of its economic potential.

Education

NANS Begs As Madonna University Expels Nursing Students Over Viral Hospital Video

Published

20 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Media Conversation

By David Amogbokpa

The management of Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State, has reportedly expelled some nursing students involved in a viral social media video recorded in a hospital environment.

The video, which circulated widely online, showed the students dancing and engaging in a TikTok trend with the tag “No fall sick oo, na Gen Z full hospital.”

The incident attracted criticism over concerns about professional conduct and the standards expected of nursing students.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), while acknowledging that the students’ conduct was inappropriate, has appealed to the university management to reconsider the expulsion.

In a statement issued by its President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, on Friday, NANS described expulsion as a severe punishment and urged the university to replace it with a stern warning.

The students’ body argued that the affected students had invested years and significant resources in their nursing education and that expulsion could have serious consequences for their academic and professional careers.

NANS appealed that the students should be allowed to learn from the incident, urging the university to “temper justice with mercy.”

Madonna University’s Department of Nursing was established in 2001 and is integrated with the university’s teaching hospital, where students receive clinical training.

As of the latest reports, the university has not publicly released a detailed statement explaining the specific disciplinary measures taken against the students.

Meanwhile, a former Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University, Abraka, Prof. Victor Peretomode, has proposed a tripartite governance model to sustain excellence in the institution.

Peretomode proposed the model at DELSU’s 12th valedictory lecture held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the university’s 750 Lecture Theatre, Site III.

Warri Run and Rave Event Draws Political Protest Over Tinubu-Branded Shirts

Published

4 days ago

October 1, 2026

Austin Olayinka

A Run and Rave event sponsored by Soft Nigeria in Warri, Delta State, was interrupted on Thursday after some participants protested against polo shirts bearing the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The event, held at PTI Junction as part of activities marking Nigeria’s Independence Day, attracted young people who gathered for the fitness and entertainment programme.

According to videos and reports from the scene, some participants objected after shirts bearing Tinubu’s image were distributed. Some were seen tearing the shirts, while others chanted the name of Peter Obi and shouted, “We no go wear.”

Edema Seun, a young man who attended the Run and Rave event, said he encountered supporters of Peter Obi on his way to the venue but decided to remain at the event.

“I met the Obi supporters on the way and I stayed back to enjoy the event I came for. Later on I heard that there were burning shirts,” Seun said.

Seun’s account indicates that he did not personally witness the reported burning of the shirts, but learnt about it later during the event.

Videos circulating online showed some participants tearing the shirts, while others gathered around the area where the disagreement occurred. The available footage does not establish the political affiliation of all the participants or indicate that everyone at the event took part in the protest.

The incident has since attracted attention on social media, with reactions focusing on the use of a political figure’s image at an event presented as a fitness and entertainment programme.

The development comes amid increased political activity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election, with supporters of different political figures increasingly visible at public gatherings and community events.

As of the time of filing this report, no detailed statement from Soft Nigeria explaining the distribution of the Tinubu-branded shirts or responding to the incident had been identified.

The Run and Rave event itself was organised as a fitness and entertainment gathering, while the political disagreement emerged during the programme over the shirts distributed to participants.

Politics

Nigeria @ 66: Tinubu Declares End of Emergency Reforms, Says Country Has Entered Age of Shared Prosperity

Published

4 days ago

October 1, 2026

Media Conversation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Thursday, declared that Nigeria has passed the worst of its economic pains and has now entered the age of prosperity, in his 66th Independence Day address to the nation.

In an Independence Day celebration broadcast titled “From Reform to Prosperity”, the President said his administration chose to confront Nigeria’s deep economic distortions head-on when it assumed office in 2023, likening the country at that time to a cancer patient who must endure painful treatment to survive.

He said for too long Nigeria’s leaders chose morphine while praying for a miracle that never came, but his administration resolved to do things differently and excise the cancer.

Three and a half years after the removal of fuel subsidy and the foreign exchange reforms, Tinubu said the evidence of recovery is now undeniable.

He noted that the economy has grown by over four percent this year, with both oil and non-oil sectors contributing to stable growth, while oil theft has reduced and foreign direct investment continues to rise.

According to him, inflation has fallen substantially from its peak, foreign reserves have been rebuilt and the foreign exchange market has stabilised.

He added that in 2025 the country recorded its highest revenue from non-oil exports in history, exceeding six billion dollars, which he described as real money being made by real Nigerian businesses.

These, he said, are not idle claims, as international observers, journalists, NGOs and multilateral institutions have all concluded that the reforms have strengthened Nigeria’s stability and resilience.

The President said that with the foundation now repaired, the central task of government has changed from correcting the economy to delivering shared and widespread prosperity.

He explained that prosperity to him does not mean merely larger numbers or better statistics, but a Nigeria where the farmer can cultivate safely and earn a decent return, where factories have reliable power, businesses can obtain credit, young people can find productive work, food and transportation are affordable, education is within reach, and families can look to the future with confidence.

To achieve this, Tinubu said his government will focus on bringing down the cost of living by lowering the cost of producing and moving goods.

He outlined plans to expand mechanised irrigation and dry-season farming, improve access to seeds and fertiliser, increase mechanisation, invest in storage and transportation, and build and complete roads, railways and ports that connect farms and factories to markets.

His logic, he said, is simple: when farmers produce more cheaply, when fewer crops are lost between farm and market, when manufacturers spend less on electricity and trucks reach destinations faster in a competitive environment, those savings will ultimately reflect in market prices.

On jobs, the President said Nigeria’s youthful population must become an engine of production rather than a source of despair.

He pledged to use the nation’s gas to power new industries, support businesses to revive factories in industrial centres, expand digital connectivity into long-neglected communities, invest in relevant skills and provide infrastructure and finance for businesses to grow.

He said he wants to see more Nigerians making things, more farms feeding cities and supplying factories, more businesses selling Nigerian goods to the world, and young Nigerians building unicorns and creating opportunities at home.

Acknowledging that millions of citizens still struggle for daily meals, school fees and medical bills, the President said their plight is the accumulated consequence of decades of low productivity and weak institutions.

While this cannot be erased in four years, he said the course can be changed and the vulnerable will not be abandoned.

He pointed to strengthened direct support through an improved National Social Register for the poorest households, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund ensuring that children of low-income families can pursue higher education, and CREDICORP giving working Nigerians access to consumer credit for vehicles, solar systems and digital devices without years of savings.

He added that government has continued to pay salaries and pensions on time and in full, reformed the national pension programme, and is working with states and local governments to strengthen primary healthcare and basic education.

These programmes, he said, are not substitutes for prosperity but a bridge towards it, stressing that the objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently but to defeat it.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to resist calls by what he described as influential but regressive voices to abandon reforms and return to addictive subsidies, insisting that the nation must remember why the journey began.

He declared that the emergency treatment is over and the foundation has been repaired, saying Nigeria has corrected its course and passed through its own Red Sea.

While calling for unity and renewed faith, he said the promised land before the nation is one of abundance and opportunity where prosperity is broadly shared and every child can dream beyond the circumstances of birth.

He concluded that the destination is in sight, the foundations are strong and the direction is clear, urging Nigerians to go forward together with no looking back.