By Elvis Eromosele
Imagine a young Nigerian sitting in a hot room on a hot day. There is no electricity, and not even a trace of breeze. The phone battery is dead, the power bank is drained, and the laptop has shut down. There are messages to respond to, assignments to complete, clients waiting for deliverables and perhaps an online meeting that cannot be postponed. There is work to be done, but everything has come to a standstill.
No, DO NOT imagine it! This was the true-life experience shared by a young Nigerian, Rolé, in a social media post last week that captures the everyday reality of millions of Nigerians. “In this extremely hot sun, there’s no electricity. Not even a trace of breeze,” she lamented, describing how dead phones, exhausted power banks and laptops had made it impossible to work.
Her frustration went beyond the discomfort of enduring another hot afternoon. It raised a fundamental question: How can young people build businesses, earn a living and become financially independent when something as basic as electricity becomes an obstacle?
In truth, her complaint reflects a wider national problem. For a generation encouraged to embrace entrepreneurship, acquire digital skills and create opportunities for itself, unreliable electricity is increasingly becoming a barrier to economic progress.
Now, Nigeria’s electricity crisis is typically discussed in terms of megawatts, generation capacity, transmission constraints and distribution losses. Yet, behind these technical considerations are millions of people whose daily activities and economic ambitions are disrupted by unreliable supply. Young Nigerians are particularly affected because many are turning to digital services, freelancing, e-commerce, technology, content creation and remote employment to overcome limited traditional employment opportunities. These activities depend heavily on electricity.
A graphic designer needs power to operate a computer. A software developer needs electricity to write and test code. A social media manager requires charged devices to manage clients’ accounts, while a remote worker must maintain reliable connectivity to meet deadlines.
When electricity disappears, productivity suffers. Missed deadlines can damage professional relationships, while repeated interruptions can cost freelancers valuable international clients. For young entrepreneurs, the consequences are equally serious. Money that should be invested in expanding a business is diverted towards generators, petrol, inverter batteries and solar installations.
The sad reality is that when public supply fails, businesses must either suspend operations or generate their own electricity at additional cost. For struggling entrepreneurs, this can significantly reduce profit margins and make otherwise viable businesses difficult to sustain.
Today, Nigeria’s electricity challenge is not merely an inconvenience. It is a constraint on economic productivity, social inclusion and national competitiveness. There are talks of reforms. The Electricity Act 2023 introduced an opportunity for states to develop and regulate their electricity markets. This decentralisation is supposed to encourage competition, private investment and solutions tailored to local needs. Nigerians are still waiting for these reforms to translate into measurable improvements in electricity access and reliability.
Experts insist that addressing the crisis requires a combination of infrastructure investment, market reforms and alternative energy solutions.
First, the government must prioritise the rehabilitation of existing generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. Improving the performance of existing power plants, securing adequate gas supply, upgrading transmission lines and replacing obsolete transformers could significantly improve electricity delivery.
Second, Nigeria must accelerate investment in renewable energy, particularly solar power. With abundant sunshine, solar energy offers an opportunity to reduce dependence on the national grid.
However, affordability remains a major barrier. Government, financial institutions and renewable energy companies should develop low-interest financing, leasing and pay-as-you-go arrangements that allow households and small businesses to acquire solar systems without prohibitive upfront costs.
Third, community-based mini-grids should receive greater attention. Solar-powered mini-grids can provide electricity to underserved communities, markets, schools and agricultural clusters. Beyond improving access, they can support food processing, refrigeration, irrigation and small-scale manufacturing.
Fourth, distribution companies must become more accountable. Regulators should enforce service standards, improve consumer protection and ensure that customers receive the quality of electricity they are charged for. In addition, accelerating the deployment of prepaid and smart meters will also improve transparency and reduce billing disputes.
Furthermore, young entrepreneurs need targeted energy financing. Affordable loans for solar installations, inverters and energy-efficient equipment would help small businesses reduce operating costs and improve productivity.
Besides, Nigeria should invest in training young people in solar installation, battery management, electrical maintenance and renewable energy technologies. The transition to cleaner energy can create employment while developing local technical capacity.
Ultimately, Rolé’s complaint is about much more than an uncomfortable afternoon. It reflects the frustration of a generation that wants to work, innovate, earn and build a future but frequently encounters obstacles that should have been addressed decades ago.
Clearly, Nigeria cannot ask its young people to power the future when it cannot reliably power their present. Young Nigerians are not asking for special privileges. They want an environment where hard work and creativity can translate into economic progress. They simply want to charge their phones, power their laptops, attend online meetings, complete assignments, and run businesses without organising their entire lives around the availability of electricity.
This should not be too much to ask.
Eromosele, a corporate communications expert, sustainability advocate, and Lead Coordinator for the Africa Sustainability Forum, writes via elviseroms@gmail.com.
