By Maryann Uwandulu and Austin Mowete
ASABA/Nigeria: The Public Relations Officer at the Asaba office of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on Monday failed to provide explanations for the prolonged and irregular electricity supply that has left Asaba and surrounding communities in darkness since the beginning of 2026.
The persistent blackout has affected major towns including Ogwashi-Uku and Ibusa, plunging the Delta State capital territory and its environs into near-total darkness for weeks, with residents lamenting mounting socio-economic hardship.
Student journalists on industrial training with the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF), dispatched to the BEDC Asaba office to seek official clarification, were met with evasive responses. The PRO declined to address questions on the cause of the outage, stating that the appropriate official was unavailable and suggesting that the Asaba office might not be the right channel to comment on the power situation.
She further directed inquiries to the company’s headquarters in Benin, leaving residents without immediate answers regarding the disruption.
Across the affected communities, daily life has been severely disrupted. Residents report acute water shortages as electrically powered pumps remain idle, worsening sanitation challenges in homes where toilets cannot be flushed regularly.
Small and medium-scale enterprises—including barbing salons, tailoring shops, business centres and panel-beating workshops—have either shut down or scaled back operations due to the lack of electricity. Several business owners said they have recorded significant losses as perishable goods stored in freezers and refrigerators have spoiled.
The hardship has been compounded by intense heat conditions, with households unable to power fans or cooling systems. Although some families have resorted to generators, rising fuel costs have made sustained use financially unsustainable for many.
Despite the growing frustration and economic strain, BEDC has yet to issue an official public statement explaining the persistent power failure in Asaba and its environs or provide a timeline for the restoration of stable electricity supply.
For many residents, the silence from the distribution company has deepened concerns, as uncertainty over power restoration continues to overshadow daily life and economic activity in the Delta State capital.
