Residents of the popular Lazaret neighborhood in Niamey cheer with joy as the electricity returns after a five-hour outage, one of the direct consequences of the economic sanctions imposed on Niger following the July 26 coup.
In the neighboring Dan Zama neighborhood, hairdresser Mohammed tries to calm down children who are impatiently waiting for the electricity to come back so he can cut their hair. He repeats the words "suro, suro" (patience in the Zarma language) to comfort them.
The power cuts in Niger have increased since neighboring Nigeria announced on Wednesday that it would suspend supplying electricity to Niger as part of the sanctions imposed by West African countries in response to the military coup against democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attached a one-week deadline to the sanctions, which ended on Sunday, for the junta to restore constitutional order to the country.
Nigeria and its President, Muhammadu Buhari, head ECOWAS. The sanctions include stopping financial and service transactions with Niger, including those related to electricity.
Power cuts in Niamey are usually caused by network malfunctions in Nigeria, as the Niger Electricity Company (NIGELEC) buys 70% of its electricity from the neighboring country, according to a report published in 2022.
"NIGELEC" is now forced to rely on local power plants with limited capacity to provide electricity to the estimated two million population of Niger.
An official in the company expects that the local production capacity will increase from August 25th with the commissioning of a new solar power plant with a capacity of 30 megawatts, built near Niamey with a loan from France, the former colonial power in Niger, and a grant from the European Union.
Until then, the options for the people of Niger remain limited.
Mohammed, the hairdresser, says, "So far, the power cuts, between four and five hours, are tolerable, but we fear the worst if there is a breakdown in the production plants."
To continue working, Mohammed has resorted to using a few hair clippers that can be charged with solar power. However, he confirms that the number of his customers has decreased from "about 15" per day to "five at most" now.
"Patience" -
At Issa Amadou's tailor shop facing Mohammed's salon, the sound of the idle sewing machines fills the air due to the power outage.
Issa waits impatiently for the power supply to return. He tries to fend off mosquitoes in the absence of any other work. "We are waiting for the power supply to return with patience," he says.
In a nearby neighborhood, a group of young people spend their time drinking tea in a club enveloped in pitch darkness due to the power outage, the silence only broken by the croaking of frogs from a nearby swamp.
A young man, Aziz Hama, mocks, saying, "Nigeria should find another way to pressure us because we are accustomed to power outages; we can endure them for a long time."
Despite that, each person faces their difficulties with the power outage, which has become a problem adding to other concerns.
Cadi Mokaila, who manages a restaurant, says, "These outages come at a bad time when prices of goods are rising due to the jihadist attacks that affect the country's supplies." She adds, "Customers are not happy because we no longer have cold drinks."
Seventy-year-old Hadj Tidjani, due to "these cursed outages," can no longer hear the call to prayer from the mosque loudspeakers.
During power cuts, electricity generators of various sizes compensate for several commercial sectors, gas stations, pharmacies, and even luxury villas.
At night, small vendors gather near illuminated streets with solar-powered streetlights, while others rely on Chinese-made solar-powered lamps or batteries, the prices of which have risen due to the crisis.
Some sectors are now looking for alternatives in preparation for a prolonged crisis.
Moussa Aba, who owns a pharmacy, says the issue is no longer limited to occasional power cuts, "so we have bought a new generator."
Other shop owners have had to adapt to the current situation. Some who sell ice have had to reduce the quantities they buy for fear of spoilage in their refrigerators.
The military leader of the junta, General Abdoul Rahim Tiyani, warned that "the coming weeks and months will be difficult for our country."
Despite the difficulties, warehouse manager Suley Kanté affirms the readiness of his fellow citizens to "make the ultimate sacrifice to get rid of this new colonization."
AFP