- SMEs in Kano protested a three-month power outage, accusing KEDCO of disrupting their operations.
- Business owners warned the blackout could lead to job losses and economic setbacks for the region.
Thousands of workers from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kano State staged a peaceful protest yesterday, expressing frustration over a prolonged blackout that has severely disrupted their business activities. The protest occurred at the Dakota cluster of small-scale industries, with workers demanding immediate action to restore power and address the hardship caused by the outage.
Speaking to journalists, the leader of the protest, Surajo Musa, explained that the total blackout had caused significant distress to over 10,000 workers and business owners in the area. Musa accused the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) of deliberately cutting off the power supply to the industrial cluster, leaving many businesses on the verge of collapse.
“Our situation has become unbearable. For more than three months, this area has been without power, which has brought small-scale businesses to the brink of collapse,” Musa said. He added that the prolonged power outage has left many workers struggling to make ends meet and has jeopardised their livelihoods. “The blackout has had severe consequences, not just on our businesses, but on our families as well,” he added.
According to Musa, the members of the industrial cluster have faced millions of Naira in losses due to a significant decline in productivity. Without electricity, business owners cannot operate their machinery or meet customer demands, forcing many to look for alternative means of survival.
Murtala Isah, an SME owner in the Dakata area, expressed concern over the long-term impact of the power outage on jobs. “We are at risk of downsizing or closing down completely in the worst-case scenario,” Isah said. He further warned that the collapse of small businesses in Kano would have dire economic consequences, including stunted economic growth, reduced tax revenue for the government, and a surge in poverty levels among the already impoverished population.
The protesters called on the relevant authorities to act quickly and restore power to the area to prevent further damage to local businesses. They also urged the government and energy companies to explore alternative energy sources to support affected businesses during the ongoing crisis.
In response to the protest, KEDCO’s Public Relations Officer, Sani Bala Sani, acknowledged the issue and assured that the matter would be investigated. However, no immediate solution or timeline for restoring power was provided at the time of the report. The ongoing power crisis in Kano’s industrial areas highlights the vulnerability of SMEs, which are vital to the state’s economy but often struggle with unreliable infrastructure and services.