Residents of 25 communities in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State erupted in celebration on Sunday after electricity was restored for the first time in 20 years. The communities, including Chuwasu, Zangon Maje, Maje, Kore and several others, had lived in total darkness for two decades, a situation that crippled daily life and economic activities.
PUNCH findings revealed that the prolonged blackout resulted from widespread vandalisation of electricity cables and transformers by locals many years ago.
Speaking to DIP CONNECT Online on Monday, a bakery owner in Taura, Hussain Mai Burodi, described the devastating impact of the outage on his livelihood.
“Twenty years without light killed my ovens,” he said. “Now I’ll bake round the clock and hire more hands. This is our miracle. Bread makers couldn’t bake with ease, meat sellers lost stock, and shops stayed idle without fridges or lights.”
Another resident, meat seller Idris Musa, said the return of electricity had revived his business.
“Rotten meat meant daily losses. With power back, my freezer works again and customers will return. This is the beginning of business revival,” he said, noting that the blackout had brought commercial activity in Taura LGA “to a halt.”
For Yusuf Garba, who manages a drink shop, the restoration brings relief from years of hardship.
“No fans in the heat, no water pumps, and businesses losing money daily,” he recounted. “Cold drinks were a dream, but now we can chill sodas and boost sales. This restoration revives us.”
Food vendor, Laraba Isiyaku, also lamented how the outage affected families.
“Cooking without power was hell; families suffered,” she said. “Light means full pots and happy homes again. Even simple joys like evening family time disappeared as children studied by lantern and households endured heat.”
In Chuwasu community, voluntary security personnel, Rabi’u Dantauri, said darkness encouraged crime.
“We patrolled endlessly,” he said. “With lights now, our streets are safer and people can live without fear.”
The restored electricity was formally inaugurated by the Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, during the 26th Government and Citizens Engagement programme held in Taura on Sunday. Namadi described the restoration as the end of decades of hardship and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to residents’ welfare.
“This ends two decades of suffering,” he declared. “We are lighting up Jigawa one community at a time so businesses can flourish and lives can improve. Power brings progress, jobs and joy to every home in Taura and beyond.”
Taura LGA Chairman, Hon. Shu’aibu Zarga, praised the state government for its intervention.
“Residents’ patience has paid off,” he said. “Blackouts crushed our economy, but now markets will buzz again and families will prosper.
ADEOLA KUNLE
