Artisans and small business owners in Kano State have expressed concern over the persistent power outages in the state, saying the situation is crippling their operations.

Some of the affected residents said during interviews on Sunday that the poor electricity supply was affecting productivity and increasing operational costs.

 A welder at Kofar Ruwa area, Idi Ali, said he spends an average of N5,000 daily on fuel to power his generator due to the erratic electricity supply.

He said, “We hardly get power for two hours in a day. I have lost customers because I cannot meet deadlines. It is becoming unbearable.’’

Another business owner, Amina Rabiu, who runs a frozen food business in Sabon Gari area, said she incurred losses due to spoiled goods caused by power failure.

A fashion designer in Fagge area, Stella Simon, said that the power situation had become so bad that she had been unable to meet her customers’ demands for weeks.

She stated, “We have not had electricity for almost two days now. I rely on a generator. Getting fuel to power it is expensive due to the increase in the pump price of fuel. I depend on electricity to preserve my stock. Now I use generators throughout the day and still lose money. It is frustrating.’’

Similarly, a tailor in Dakata area, Abba Kabir, said that the situation forced him to reduce his workforce.

Mr Kabir stated, “I cannot continue paying workers when there is no power to run my machines. We need urgent intervention from government or the electricity distribution company.’’

The response of the Head, Corporate Communications at the Kano Electricity Development Company, Sani Bala, was not available as of the time this story was published.

(NAN)