Another Empty Promise: Nigeria Still in Darkness After Minister's Vow

Photo: The Punch

When Words No Reach NEPA

My people, if you're reading this by candlelight or with one eye on your phone's battery percentage, you're not alone. Two weeks ago, our Power Minister made one of those promises we've heard countless times before - that things would improve within fourteen days. Well, those fourteen days don finish, and guess what? We still dey darkness!

The story is as old as Nigeria itself. Gas shortages, grid wahala, and the same excuses we've been hearing since 1999. But this time, the impact is hitting different because small businesses across the country are literally dying.

Small Business Owners Don Tire

Take Mama Kemi in Ikeja who runs a small salon. Before this latest power crisis deepened, she was managing with 8-10 hours of electricity daily. Now? She's lucky to get 2 hours. Her generator has become her best friend, but with fuel prices touching the sky, her profit margins have disappeared faster than light during rainy season.

"I promised my customers their hair would be ready by weekend," she told me over the phone, frustration heavy in her voice. "Now I have to choose between buying diesel and buying food for my children. This government just dey play with our lives."

Her story is echoing across millions of households and businesses. From the barber in Kano struggling to keep his clippers running, to the restaurant owner in Port Harcourt watching her frozen foods spoil daily - the two-week promise has become another broken dream.

The Minister's Magic Wand Don Break

When the Power Minister made his bold declaration, many Nigerians rolled their eyes. We've seen this movie before. Remember when we were promised steady power by 2015? Or 2020? Or last year? The script never changes - big promises, small delivery.

The technical problems are real, no doubt. Gas shortages have reduced power generation to embarrassing levels. Grid collapses have become as common as Monday morning traffic. But what frustrates ordinary Nigerians is the constant promise-making without realistic timelines or accountability.

"How can you promise something in two weeks when the fundamental issues have been there for decades?" asks Emeka, who runs a printing business in Onitsha. "I've spent more on diesel this month than my entire monthly rent. These ministers, do they even understand what we're going through?"

The Real Cost of Darkness

Beyond the frustration lies real economic pain. The Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industries estimates that power outages cost the economy over $26 billion annually. But behind those big numbers are human faces - the tailor who can't meet delivery deadlines, the student who can't charge their phone to attend online classes, the clinic that can't store vaccines properly.

In Lagos alone, generator sales have increased by 40% in the past month. Diesel prices have people choosing between powering their businesses and feeding their families. This is not just about inconvenience anymore - it's about survival.

The ripple effects are everywhere. Banks are struggling with their ATM networks. Telecommunication services are patchy. Even government offices are not spared, with some ministries operating on skeleton services due to power challenges.

Same Promise, Different Minister

What makes this particularly painful is how familiar it all sounds. Every new Power Minister comes with the same playbook - diagnose the problems (which we all know), promise quick fixes, blame previous administrations, then repeat the cycle when the promises fail.

Nigerians have become experts at managing power outages. We know which neighborhoods get light first after an outage. We've mastered the art of timing our activities around NEPA's mood swings. Our generators have become family members with names and personalities.

But we shouldn't have to live this way in 2024. Countries with smaller economies have solved their power problems. South Africa, despite its challenges, provides more reliable electricity. Ghana, our neighbor, has made significant improvements. What makes Nigeria different?

Where Do We Go From Here?

The truth is, fixing Nigeria's power sector needs more than two-week promises. It requires massive infrastructure investment, policy consistency, and leadership that understands the urgency of the situation.

Until then, we'll keep buying candles, servicing our generators, and hoping that one day, a Power Minister will make a promise and actually keep it. But for now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go charge my phone - the generator just came on in my area.

As they say, "In Nigeria, we don't plan our lives around electricity availability, we plan electricity availability around our lives." And unfortunately, that planning still includes a lot of darkness.