It is killing our business’ — Tech experts, hairdressers lament ₦1,330 fuel price, blackout

‘Nifemi Peters

​ The “Renewed Hope” agenda of President Bola Tinubu is facing a wave of criticism from Nigeria’s creative and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sectors, as the combined sting of persistent blackouts and a staggering ₦1,330 per litre fuel price pushes businesses to the brink of collapse.

​From tech hubs in Lagos to salons in Ibadan and workshops in Ogun state, the narrative is the same: the high cost of alternative energy, coupled with the “unproductive” reforms of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, is systematically stifling the nation’s economic engine.

​For Nigeria’s growing community of software developers and digital creators, the energy crisis has become an existential threat. Emmanuel Murewa, a programmer, told gistlife that the lack of stable power is “killing” the creative spark that once positioned Nigeria as Africa’s tech giant.

​”What can we say other than to plead with our President to walk the talk?” Murewa asked. “He promised a renewed hope, but what we are seeing does not look like it. You cannot run a tech startup on a generator when fuel is ₦1,330. It’s simply not sustainable.

​The informal sector, which employs millions of Nigerians, is arguably the hardest hit. Bolanle Adebayo, a hairdresser, lamented that the daily struggle to find affordable fuel has turned her business into a charity case.

​”The future of this nation is blurry because every sector demands serious attention,” she stated. “President Tinubu needs to be accountable. It is two years plus and the power sector is worse than they met it. No light, and both diesel and petrol are too expensive. How do they think we should survive?”

​In Ibadan, Wahad Opeyemi, a welder whose livelihood depends entirely on electricity, described the government’s performance as “shameful.” He criticized the Minister of Power for reforms that have failed to yield results despite massive spending.

​”All they could do is provide darkness after several billions have been spent,” Opeyemi said. “Tinubu must declare a state of emergency on the power sector because Nigerians are not happy with these reforms that only exist on paper.”

​As the administration crosses the two-year mark, the outcry from the streets suggests that for many Nigerians, the “Renewed Hope” promise is fast becoming a “Renewed Struggle” for survival.