Blackouts, Booming Sales: Abuja food vendors cash in on power crisis

By Ginika Okoye

In what could be described as a twist of fate, local food vendors in some satellite towns in the FCT are making brisk business amid epileptic power supply in the areas.

Many households and businesses in the areas have complained about how the epileptic supply has obstructed and crippled their day to day activities.

Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja revealed that some middle and low income families in these areas now resort to patronising local food vendors, especially for their ‘swallow’ cravings.

Some of the families who spoke to NAN said they preferred to patronise restaurants for one off swallow meals rather than prepare it in bulk, as there was no power to store it in the refrigerator instead of watching it go bad.

Corroborating the above statements, some food vendors in the areas confirmed improved sales and attributed it to the hand of God in their business.

Mrs Emem Usoro, a Calabar restaurant operator in the Agwandadi suburb of Nyanya, said her sales record had tripled, especially at night.

Usoro, who said the general thinking was that businesses were slow at the beginning of the year, noted that it was not the case for her business this year.

“I thank God for my sales this year. I used to make between N10,000 and N15,000 daily, but now, on a good day, I make about N35,000,” she said.

Madam Deborah Nnona, a restaurant operator popularly known as ‘Nwanyi Anambra’ in Mararaba, said she had gained new customers this season and that demand for her swallow and soups had increased tremendously.

“I have seen families coming here in the evenings to eat together, especially requesting particular soups.

“I prepare varieties of soups ranging from bitter leaf to Afang and egusi, and they finish before I know it.

“Business has improved very well,” she said.

Another restaurant operator in Lugbe, Miss Angela Idachaba, said that although the epileptic power supply was also affecting her business, she had recorded a slight increase in sales.

“I calculate what I buy daily so that it will not remain and get spoilt. I do not buy extra meat anymore. I only buy what I need each day for my business.

“It is stressful, but it has saved me a lot of waste. Truly, my business has improved a little,” she said.

Madam Ini Ndiana, a ‘mama put’ food vendor in Kubwa, said she had expanded her business space due to a sharp increase in the number of her customers.

Mrs Becky Akputa, a mother of five who resides in Nyanya, said she no longer preserved food in her freezer due to the development.

Akputa said her household previously depended on electricity to preserve their soups, which lasted for more than two weeks, but could no longer do so due to epileptic power supply in the area.

“I spent nothing less than N10,000 to prepare a pot of soup two weeks ago, but it went bad the next morning and I ended up throwing it away because there was no electricity to freeze it.

“Due to that terrible experience, we agreed that anyone who wants to eat swallow and soup will buy it from a restaurant close to my house to avoid this waste,” she said.

Mrs Sarah Onifade, a housewife in Nyanya, said her freezer had become faulty due to unstable power supply.

Onifade, who said there was no need to take the freezer for repairs due to the poor electricity supply, said she preferred to spend about N2,000 to buy soup for her children.

“I now prefer to buy soup for my children to eat swallow rather than cook it at home. Before now, it was more economical to cook at home, but after my soups got spoilt, I learnt my lesson.

“I spent the whole morning cooking a pot of pepper soup for my family last week, and it also got spoilt because of the power outage.

“With no electricity to keep it fresh, my family will have to eat outside again today until the light situation stabilises,” she said.

Mrs Chidimma Okoli, a civil servant resident in Kubwa, said the area barely got two hours of electricity supply daily.

Okoli, who described the situation as frustrating, said there was an urgent need to address it.

“My salary was reduced last month, so I do not even have enough to buy fuel for my generator every day.

“I thank God that my children are grown up, so they buy some of these things themselves.

“Although they do not like eating swallow and soup, I send them to buy it for me whenever I crave it,” she said.

Mr Segun Ariyo, a trader, appealed to the government as well as electricity generation and distribution companies to urgently rectify the power situation.

Ariyo said he had instructed his wife to stop cooking large quantities of food for fear of waste.

“The electricity situation in this country has never been this bad before.

“The government should help us to solve this issue because it is costing us a fortune.

“My wife no longer cooks soup at home, and swallow is my favourite food. I now eat it at a particular spot whenever I go to work,” he said.

NAN, however, reports that most businesses have recorded losses due to the epileptic power supply in their areas. (NAN)