By: Gloria Abutu
Every year, May 16 is observed as the International Day of Light.
The day recognises the importance of light in the life of an ordinary human being and the role it plays in shaping innovation,creativity, and technology.
The International Day of Light celebrates and promotes the importance of science and the applications of light, address challenges in sustainable development, health, education, energy, communication, etc.
As the world celebrates the day, residents of Yola the Adamawa state capital have appealed for government intervention to resolve the persistent power outage in the state.
They made the call while speaking to Radio Nigeria Fombina News in Yola.
In recent events, technical failures in the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN towers, occasioned by vandalism, have resulted in power outages in communities in the North East region of the country including Yola, Jalingo, Gombe, Bauchi, Damaturu, Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
These disruptions in the past 3 weeks, have impacted households and businesses particularly in areas serviced by the Yola Electricity Distribution Company, YEDC.
Some residents of Yola expressed frustration over the prolonged black out, noting that the situation has had adverse effect on their health, especially with the heatwave, and led to the collapse of their businesses.
“We no get light for Jambutu since the past three weeks and this is affecting my business. I spend N950 on a litre of fuel. How I wan take see gain? How I wan make profit?” asked Mrs Kemi Aregbesola who is a fashion designer.
Esther Denen, a hair stylist decried the impact of the persistent outage on her health.
“This light issue is really affecting us, and If you see all my body? There is rashes everywhere, it’s so bad,” she complained.
Others noted that the outage has had devastating effect on their standard of living and demanded immediate government intervention to restore electricity to enable them sustain their means of livelihood.
Speaking from an economic standpoint, Mr. Mathias Matthew Madu of the department of Economics, Adamawa state Polytechnic, Yola said the outage has halted economic activities in the region, thereby affecting productivity.
According to him, “a lot of businesses depend on electricity to thrive. Light is important in every sphere of life, so if you don’t have light, it affects productivity. And once productivity is not there, the GDP and the economy at large is affected,” the economist explained.
He lamented the high cost of petrol and advised exploring alternative energy sources like solar power, while also calling on relevant authorities to expedite action in ensuring restoration of power to the affected states.
The TCN had in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, assured that power supply would be fully restored to the affected communities on May 27.
While the people await a swift resolution to their plight, they are hopeful that the TCN will live up to its promise and end the power crisis in the region.
This year’s International Day of Light with the theme, “Light in Our Lives,” highlights the profound impact of light on daily existence and recognises the pivotal role that light plays in enhancing the quality of life for individuals and communities worldwide.
