KANO, Nigeria – When the recent industrial action at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) was called off, millions of residents across Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina expected a return to steady power.
However, weeks after the gates of KEDCO headquarters were unlocked, the “imminent total blackout” warned of by unions has merely shifted into a cycle of “epileptic” supply and skyrocketing bills.
The strike, which saw the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) “down tools,” was sparked by a decade of systemic neglect.
Union leaders like Comrade Rilwan Shehu and Comrade Ado Gaya cited non-remittance of pensions, 100 month , poor working environments, and a lack of staff promotions, some spanning 11 years, as the reasons for the shutdown.
While the workers are back at their stations, for the residents of neighborhoods like Panshekara, Kabuga, and Janguza, the “value for money” remains invisibles.
“Business is Paralyzed”
For Precious Waziri, a hairdresser in Panshekara, the lack of electricity is a daily battle for survival.
“The way the light issue was before the strike is the same thing we are experiencing now,” Waziri told Daily News 24. “They mostly bring the light in the middle of the night when no one is using it or I’m not in my shop. On a lucky day, we might get three or four hours.”
Without a steady supply, her hair dryer, stretcher, and hot comb the tools of her trade sit idle. To make matters worse, her backup generator recently broke down. “When customers come, I have to tell them to wait or go and come back when they bring the light,” she lamented. “I am paying the bills, but we are not seeing the light. KEDCO needs to let people see the value they pay for.”
The N10,000-a-Day Burden
In Kabuga, the frustration is felt through the roar of generators. Anas Isah, a local welder, has given up on relying on the grid entirely.
“The light is epileptic. It is almost as if they are playing with it,” Isah said. “I don’t even care if there is light or not anymore. I turn on my generator and use it until I’m done because I don’t like work being interrupted.”
However, this independence comes at a massive cost. Isah revealed he spends up to N10,000 daily on fuel. “If there was stable light, I would spend only about N2,000. Business would move better and there would be more development.” He urged the government to resolve its issues with KEDCO officials permanently so that strikes do not become a recurring nightmare.
Billing Without Service
While business owners struggle with productivity, residents are grappling with what they describe as “outrageous” billing practices. Mr. Stanley, a secondary school teacher residing in Janguza, describes a chaotic pricing system that seems disconnected from reality.
“Before the strike, I was paying N5,000. All of a sudden, it jumped to N17,500, then dropped to N12,000, then N8,000. Now, they have increased it back to N17,000 without any notice,” Stanley said.
The teacher, whose salary is already stretched thin by inflation, said his light has been cut because he refused to pay the new rate.
“I am a secondary school teacher and my salary is barely enough for feeding, let alone paying this price for a bill. How do they expect us to get this money?”
A Call for Action
As the post-strike “new normal” sets in, the cry for help from Kano’s residents is growing louder. Whether it is a welder in Kabuga or a teacher in Janguza, the demand remains the same: a transparent billing system and power that stays on long enough to build a life.
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