What used to be widely known as one of the most vibrant commercial district in the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse 2, is currently battling major economic setback due to the region’s overwhelming power crisis in Abuja.
For several weeks now, an area filled with various profitable businesses like salons, boutiques, hotels, cyber cafes, restaurants, offices, and tech startups has been working blind amid the total blackout.
The lack of electricity has forced some business owners to seek alternative ways to generate power, while others have shut down altogether after struggling to cope with the ever-rising energy costs.
SME owners in the area have even come out to say that they keep watching their means of livelihood die before their very eyes as perishable goods continue to go to waste and operations continuously grind to a halt.
The challenge that Wuse 2 businesses are currently facing can be likened to Nigeria’s energy dilemma. According to the H2 2024 Economic Report by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian producers spent a whopping N1.11 trillion on alternative energy in 2024 – a 42.3% increase from N781.68 billion the previous year. Reports revealed that energy spending surged from N404.80 billion in H1 to N708.07 billion in H2 last year, representing a 75% increase in only 6 months.
These increasing costs have expectedly trickled down to several small businesses across Nigeria, many of whom are currently on the brink of total collapse.
According to a Beauty Spa manager, Seyi, as soon as electricity goes at his shop located in Aminu Kano Crescent, he begins to lose money, and while he used to purchase diesel on a daily basis to keep his business going, it is simply impossible to maintain such habit amid rising costs.
“We can’t afford diesel daily anymore. For every day the lights stay off, we lose customers and money. This is not sustainable,” he said.
Speaking during a press conference, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, called out electricity distribution companies across the nation for the crazy bills Nigerians are being forced to pay nowadays. He revealed that his official residence was recently slammed with a shocking N29 million electricity bill for April, an increase from N2.7 million the previous month.
But despite the inconvenience of electricity tariffs constantly rising, a lot of business owners in Wuse 2 are not even allowed to complain about the high payment of electricity bills because there is no electricity to pay for. Many of them have resorted to downsizing operations, relocating, or closing down completely, and the sad reality has shown no signs of improving.
“Businesses in our area are dying like flies. There’s little to no electricity provision in Abuja’s commercial hub for at least a month. They can’t run fully on generators. The cost of electricity is too high for even Aso Villa, talk less of small businesses,” Fakhuus Hashim, a resident of Wuse 2, added.
