Rivers Communities Get Power After 10-Year Blackout

After more than 10 years in darkness, communities in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State are finally plugged back into the electrical grid.

The transformation came when Local Government Chairman Hon. Chima Njoku made good on his campaign promise. He purchased distribution transformers for several communities and convinced Aba Power, a distribution company based in neighboring Abia State, to extend service across jurisdictional lines.

Mrs. Bernadette Obi, who runs a fishing business in Umuola, one of the newly connected communities, calls the change transformational. "He is an exceptional public servant," she said of Chairman Njoku, who kept his word after years of communities going without power.

The arrangement required coordination between multiple parties. Aba Power initially hesitated because the area fell within Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company's territory, according to Edise Ekong, Aba Power's Senior Brand and Communication Manager.

After discussions with regulators and the other utility, all parties agreed to let Aba Power serve the communities. The decision reflects the company's growing reputation for reliable service.

The Ripple Effect

The power restoration is creating waves beyond Etche. Residents report satisfaction not just with constant electricity, but with affordable rates and quality service.

"It has been a week now that electricity has not blinked for a second in these communities," Ekong told journalists. The consistency stands in stark contrast to the decade of darkness residents endured.

Other areas are taking notice. Ekong revealed that discussions are underway with unnamed state governments, communities and manufacturing firms outside Aba Power's traditional coverage area. They all want access to the utility's services.

The breakthrough demonstrates how local leadership and inter-utility cooperation can solve longstanding problems. Chairman Njoku's persistence and Aba Power's willingness to work across boundaries created a solution where none existed before.

For fishing businesses, households and schools in Etche, the lights staying on means more than convenience. It means refrigeration for food, power for schools, and the ability to work after dark. These are basics many Nigerians take for granted but that eluded these communities for over 3,650 days.

The company notes that sustained supply depends on gas availability and protecting infrastructure from vandalism. But for now, residents are celebrating their reconnection to modern life.

What started as one chairman's campaign promise has become a model for how Nigeria's fragmented power sector might work together to serve underserved areas.