Business owners in Bauchi, Gombe, and Jigawa states are incurring losses due to a prolonged power outage caused by vandalism of transmission lines in northern Nigeria. This blackout has disrupted essential services such as water, healthcare, and street lighting, and has severely impacted businesses reliant on electricity, like rice mills, shops, and small enterprises.

In Gombe, millers like Musa Arab report halted production as they cannot afford the high cost of fuel to run generators, reducing rice supply and increasing food insecurity. The power outage has also led to rising inflation, with local rice prices spiking due to limited availability. In Bauchi, bartender Ugochukwu Daniel highlights the heavy financial burden of fuel costs to keep his business running, underscoring the essential role of stable electricity for economic growth.

Similarly, laundry businesses have turned to costly charcoal for ironing. Samuel Adamu, a cleaner, has adjusted his operations to divide labor to manage rising costs. Additionally, Jigawa State recently passed the Jigawa Electricity Law 2024, which allows the state to regulate its electricity market, promising better power infrastructure, investment protections, and anti-vandalism measures. This new law aims to improve access to affordable and reliable power, particularly in rural areas, to support economic development.