When NEPA sneezes, the whole country catches cold. And now, with electricity workers downing tools, it is not just households that will suffer — small-scale businesses are staring at survival nightmares.
Think of Mama Nkechi’s frozen fish shop in Ajegunle. Yesterday, her freezer hummed faithfully, preserving cartons of Titus and mackerel. Today, silence. No hum, no light, only the slow drip-drip-drip of melting ice. By tomorrow, if the strike continues, her capital will be water, and her customers will disappear.
That is the Lagos story right now — and it’s about to spread like wildfire across the nation.
Small-scale businesses — barbers, tailors, welders, cyber cafés, cold drink sellers, bakeries — they are the heartbeat of Nigeria’s economy.
Yet, in a country where electricity is never guaranteed, they rely on generators that gulp fuel like a thirsty man under hot sun. This strike? It has pushed them from frying pan straight into fire.
Here are five negative impacts Nigerians should expect on their small-scale businesses as the blackout looms.
1. Increased Operating Costs
For most small businesses, generator fuel is already eating deep into profit margins. With the strike, demand for fuel will spike, prices will shoot up, and every barber, tailor, and corner shop owner will be forced to spend double just to keep the lights on. Imagine a barbershop that used to charge ₦500 per haircut — now, the cost of fuel alone might wipe out that ₦500. Profit? Zero.
2. Loss of Perishable Goods
Frozen foods, cold drinks, bakeries, and even pharmacies are at risk. Without electricity, perishable goods spoil fast. That means Mama Nkechi’s fish, Mama Tope’s soft drinks, and even chemists storing medicines in fridges could lose inventory worth thousands of naira in just a few days. For small-scale operators with no backup cold rooms, this is disaster.
3. Reduced Productivity
Tailors can’t sew, welders can’t weld, cyber café operators can’t print or laminate, and bakeries can’t bake without stable power.
With the strike ongoing, many of these businesses will reduce their hours, disappoint customers, and lose income. A Lagos tailor may collect “aso-ebi” orders for a wedding, but without light, deadlines will crash — and reputation alongside.
4. Job Losses & Staff Layoffs
Small businesses survive on thin profit margins. When costs rise and revenue falls, the first casualty is staff salaries. Many shop owners will cut down workers’ hours or lay them off completely.
That means apprentices, shop attendants, and sales girls might suddenly find themselves jobless. In a country already grappling with unemployment, this is another blow.
5. Customer Migration & Business Closures
The sad reality is that some small businesses may never recover. Customers will shift to bigger competitors with better power solutions, while smaller operators shut their doors. For instance, a roadside cyber café might close permanently if the blackout drags on, because customers will flock to better-equipped outlets. What follows is a ripple effect of closures across markets and neighborhoods.
More Than Strike
This strike is not just about “no light.” It’s about survival. For small-scale entrepreneurs, every day without electricity is a day of mounting losses, lost opportunities, and fading hope.
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Nigeria’s economy stands on the shoulders of these hustlers — from the vulcanizer at Ojota to the hairdresser in Ibadan — and if they collapse, the nation feels the tremor.
Until government, unions, and stakeholders find a lasting solution to the power sector crisis, small businesses will continue to carry the heaviest burden whenever NEPA sneezes.
