A severe week-long electricity blackout has brought daily life and commercial activities to a standstill across Adamawa and Taraba states. The extended power cut, initiated by the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), is causing significant hardship for residents and crippling small businesses.
Cause and Scope of the Power Shutdown
The blackout began on Monday, December 1, 2025, as part of a planned and extensive maintenance project. The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) announced the shutdown to allow MBH Power Contractor to carry out critical rehabilitation and reinforcement work.
The focus of the project is the 330/132KV and 132/33KV transmission stations located in Mayo-Belwa, Adamawa State. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) confirmed that the work includes connecting a turn-in-turn-out 330 kV transmission line. This upgrade is designed to enhance the long-term stability and reliability of the power supply across the region.
YEDC explicitly stated that during this maintenance period, electricity supply from both the Mayo-Belwa and Jalingo transmission stations will be completely unavailable.
Communities and Businesses in Darkness
The impact of the outage is widespread, affecting numerous local government areas. Communities plunged into total darkness include:
- Jalingo
- Zing
- Lau
- Mutum-Biyu
- Mayo-Belwa
- Jeda
- Ganye
- Toungo
For business owners, the situation is dire. Small-scale entrepreneurs report that operations have been crippled. A major point of frustration is the rising cost of essential goods, particularly sachet water and chilled drinks. Vendors, unable to power refrigeration and production equipment, have been forced to increase prices.
Many residents and business owners have expressed deep frustration with the prolonged outage. They are urgently appealing to YEDC to expedite the maintenance process and ensure power is restored by the promised date of December 8, 2025.
Looking for a Reliable Future
While the immediate pain is severe, authorities frame the shutdown as a necessary sacrifice for future gains. The reinforcement work at the key transmission stations is a critical infrastructure investment. The NISO believes the completed project will lead to a stronger and more dependable electricity network for Adamawa and Taraba states.
However, for now, residents and businesses must endure a full week of blackout, counting the economic and social cost as they wait for the lights to come back on.
