The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has issued a stark warning about the intensifying heatwave sweeping across the nation, accompanied by soaring temperatures and minimal rainfall. NIMET reports that temperatures have soared to 41°C in the North and 39°C in the South, with projections indicating that the scorching conditions will persist in the coming days.
This heatwave compounds existing challenges, particularly in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, where residents are grappling with deteriorating power supply. Electricity distribution companies attribute the worsening outages to low generation caused by gas shortages, exacerbating the impact of the heatwave on daily life.
The prolonged blackout, lasting for weeks in some areas, disrupts businesses, healthcare facilities, and households reliant on electricity from the national grid. With severe heatwaves linked to global warming and ozone layer depletion, Nigerians are increasingly vulnerable to sunstroke, muscle cramps, and heat exhaustion, particularly as air temperatures soar to 47°C in the north and 39°C in the south.
In the midst of this crisis, residents of Kano are facing significant challenges due to poor electricity supply. Khalifa Ibrahim and Khadija Yakub, among others, report enduring up to 48 hours without electricity or receiving barely an hour of power, highlighting the severity of the situation in Kano.
Amidst these challenges, efforts are underway to address the power infrastructure issues. Following a devastating fire at the Dan’agundi Transmission Station in Kano, a new 100MVA power transformer has been commissioned, adding 80MW to the substation’s capacity. This increase in capacity aims to alleviate power shortages and improve electricity supply to residents in various parts of Kano, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the ongoing crisis.
