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The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) is facing a tough period following a major power outage that has plunged the entire Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory into darkness.
According to the Daily Post, Bwari, one of Abuja’s largest and most densely populated councils, includes notable districts such as Kubwa, Dutse, Gwarinpa, Sokale, Ushafa, Jiigo, Pambara, Usma Dam, and others.
The area is home to key federal institutions like the Nigerian Law School and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) headquarters.
A source familiar with the situation told the aforementioned publication that the blackout, now in its second week, is due to a malfunctioning circuit breaker at the Kubwa transmission station.
According to the insider, the prolonged outage is costing the community billions of Naira daily and has exposed deep-rooted inefficiencies within the power sector.
“This shouldn’t even take more than an hour to fix in a modern society. It’s not the transformer — just a faulty circuit breaker.
The delay reflects the incompetence and bureaucracy plaguing our system,” the source lamented.
“Millions of people have been left without power, yet nothing urgent seems to be happening. It’s appalling.”
A staff member of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), who spoke anonymously, confirmed that the circuit breaker is the main issue.
He denied reports that the TCN was overwhelmed and insisted that steps were underway to restore electricity.
According to him, funds had been requested from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to purchase and install a replacement.
“We’re working around the clock to fix this. We even tried routing power through the NDIA circuit breaker, but it couldn’t handle the load and kept tripping,” the official explained.
Meanwhile, frustration among residents is growing. Chief James Ojobo, a Dutse Alhaji resident, criticised the government for allowing the situation to worsen and hinted at an imminent protest.
“We’re taxpayers, and many of us are on prepaid meters. Why should we be subjected to this kind of suffering? Perishables have gone bad. Families and small businesses are struggling,” he said.
Similarly, Hon. Emeka Ohaeri, Chairman of the Pmagbe Landlords Association, said the blackout has drawn non-stop complaints from residents.
He accused both AEDC and TCN of being less than transparent about the true state of the crisis.
“I’ve received word that the issue may be resolved soon, possibly today or tomorrow. But this delay is already too much.
“Major institutions like JAMB and the Law School are in the dark, not to mention the countless small businesses losing income daily,” Ohaeri said.
Efforts to reach the Bwari office of AEDC proved futile, reportedly due to recent changes in its management.
Attempts to contact Engineer Bolaji, the known area manager, were also unsuccessful.
Previously, on May 8, AEDC issued a statement attributing the outage to a technical fault at the 33kv Bwari feeder and claimed TCN was addressing it.
However, no further updates have been provided since then, and the blackout persists.
Residents are now growing increasingly impatient, with many warning of mass protests if the situation isn’t resolved promptly.