Phone charging vendors make brisk business amid blackout in Gombe

Phone charging vendors in Gombe State, popularly known as ‘Masu chajin wire,’ are cashing in on a prolonged power outage affecting much of northern Nigeria, with some areas enduring nearly 120 hours of blackout.

The power cut, which began on Monday, has forced residents to rely on these vendors to keep their devices charged.

Charges for phone charging have surged from N50-N100 to as much as N200 per day, while power banks now cost between N300 and N500 to charge—up from the previous N150-N200.

A Gombe resident, Laraba Johnson, lamented the hardship caused by the extended blackout, saying, “Charging at Masu chajin wire was cheaper before. Now I pay N300 just for a power bank, and they may not even let it fully charge. It’s a struggle.”

Another resident, Danbatta Abubakar, urged the Transmission Company of Nigeria to restore power urgently, expressing frustration with the delay.

“We’ve been in darkness for days, and only this Wednesday did TCN identify the issue affecting the region. Phone charging vendors are taking advantage of us, and it’s becoming unbearable,” he added.

One vendor, Musa, defended the price hike, citing rising fuel costs.

“It’s not our fault. Fuel is expensive, and the blackout lasting over five days has made things even harder,” he told our correspondent.

In a statement dated October 23, 2024, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, confirmed the fault discovery on the Ugwuaji-Apir 330kV Double Circuit transmission line, located in the swampy Igumale area of Benue State.

“A team of linesmen from TCN discovered a snapped 330kV transmission line, measuring about one span, in the swampy forest of Igumale at around 5 p.m. Arrangements are underway to mobilize equipment and materials to the site for repairs,” Mbah’s statement read.

He added that the difficult terrain requires specialized equipment, including a bulldozer and Hiab vehicle, to carry out repairs on the damaged line from TCN’s Enugu regional office.