Abuja Plunged into Darkness as AEDC Struggles with Growing Insecurity

Table of Contents

• Power Outage in Bwari Area Council
• Affected Communities
• Residents' Concerns
• Impact on Businesses
• Official Response
• Experts' View
• Shift to Renewable Energy
• Conclusion

Parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), particularly the Bwari Area Council, have been plunged into extended darkness due to a power outage that has persisted for several days.

Communities affected include Ushafa, Jigo, Pambara, Bwari town, Dutse, parts of Kubwa, Usuma Dam, and sections of Gwarinpa.

Residents report that the outage, which has lasted for over a week, has escalated fear and uncertainty among them. A resident in Ushafa expressed that the blackout has rendered daily life unsafe.

“This darkness makes us more vulnerable. Once it gets dark, everyone stays indoors because criminals exploit the situation,” said the resident, who requested anonymity.

Additionally, a Twitter user named Mark Itsibor, with the handle @itsibor, voiced his frustration over the extended outage in Bwari-Abuja.

He tweeted, “Days without power in Ushafa, Bwari, Dutse, and surrounding villages, yet AEDC remains silent. Businesses are suffering, homes are in darkness, and residents are enduring hardship. Abuja deserves better than this chronic incompetence and silence. Fix your network or be accountable @aedcelectricity.”

Many residents are concerned that the prolonged power cut may exacerbate the already precarious security situation in Bwari and Ushafa, where incidents of kidnapping and violent attacks by suspected armed bandits have been frequently reported with minimal response from security forces.

“We are already struggling with insecurity here. Now there is no light, no visibility, nothing. It feels like the government has abandoned us,” lamented another resident.

Just a few days ago, a young man was reportedly abducted behind a primary school in Ushafa, which has heightened tensions in the community. Several other kidnapping incidents have also been recorded in various parts of Bwari, a border town between Abuja and Kaduna State.

A trader, Monica James, from Bwari town expressed her worries about the impact of the outage on businesses.

“My business cannot survive without electricity. Running a generator daily is nearly impossible because fuel is too costly. Many of us are losing our livelihoods,” she stated.

Attempts to obtain official comments from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) were unsuccessful, as officials refused to speak on the record. However, a source within the company attributed the outage to a faulty cable, without providing further details or a timeline for restoration.

A community leader who wished to remain anonymous said, “We only know it’s a faulty cable somewhere, but nothing has changed in over a week. No one is giving us clear information.”

Experts have long characterized Nigeria’s power sector as severely problematic, with successive governments implementing reforms that have failed to yield sustainable results. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had pledged to resolve the power crisis within two years, yet residents claim the situation has deteriorated.

“We hear promises from every new government, but the reality keeps getting worse. Power supply is not improving; it is currently at a critical stage,” said Obaje, a civil servant in Kubwa.

Consequently, many households have turned to solar energy, while others depend on generators to cope. However, the rising cost of petroleum products has made generator use unaffordable for many families.

“Not everyone can afford solar, and fuel is too expensive. We are trapped in darkness,” added John, a resident of SCC road in Ushafa.

Despite Nigeria's status as a major oil and gas producer, citizens continue to face exorbitant energy costs, deepening economic hardship.

Residents who spoke to our correspondent insisted that no significant reform has occurred in the power sector under the current administration, warning that ongoing outages could further jeopardize security and livelihoods in the FCT.