OKWURATTA RESIDENTS BATTLE TWO-MONTH BLACKOUT

By Chimdiya Nwanosike

Residents of Okwuratta, a community largely populated by students of Imo State University (IMSU), have endured about two months without electricity following the breakdown of a transformer serving the area, leaving students and other residents struggling with increased costs of water, charging, cooking and other daily necessities.

The prolonged blackout has affected residents in different ways, particularly students and small business owners who depend on electricity for their daily activities.

Njemanze Florence, a resident of Okwuratta and a tailor, said the blackout followed the breakdown of the community’s transformer, which she attributed to the transformer carrying more load than it could handle.

Florence said life was considerably easier when electricity was available, as she used power to charge her phone, cook with an electric cooker, iron clothes and carry out beading work for her tailoring business.

According to her, the blackout has significantly increased her daily expenses. She said charging a phone now costs about ₦300, while charging a power bank costs ₦500, adding that she spends approximately ₦1,500 daily to charge her gadgets.

The blackout has also affected her tailoring business. Florence said she now has to take clothes to other tailors for beading and to dry cleaners for ironing, services she previously handled herself when electricity was available.

Water supply has become another major challenge. Florence said she spends between ₦2,500 and ₦4,000 daily on fetching water, while one gallon costs about ₦500. She added that she is fortunate to have her family home nearby, where she goes on weekends to wash her clothes.

The lack of electricity has also increased her spending on cooking gas, as she can no longer depend on her electric cooker.

For students living in the area, the prolonged blackout has added to the challenges of staying away from home.

Egesonu Nmesoma Emmanuella, a resident of Okwuratta, said students have been struggling to cope with the situation.

“We are trying to survive each day no matter how hard it is,” she said.

Nmesoma described staying for two months without electricity as difficult, particularly for students who have academic responsibilities.

“Some days I just wish I could go back home, but when I remember I have classes and exams in school, I’ll have to keep enduring,” she said.

She also said students staged a protest earlier in August 2026 over the prolonged blackout.

According to Nmesoma, the Okwuratta Alliance President has been making efforts to resolve the situation by engaging landlords and caretakers in the area. She said landlords were asked to contribute ₦150,000 per lodge towards the repair of the transformer and that the required contributions had been made.

Nmesoma further said residents had been informed that the transformer was expected to be brought back on Wednesday, August 26,2026.

Residents are now waiting to see whether the repair will restore electricity to the community and bring relief to students, business owners and other residents who have had to adjust to life without power for the past two months.