From ‘Up NEPA!’ to Everyday Power: Life in My Community

Living in Amoyo, Ilorin, Kwara State, electricity has become one of those things we sometimes forget to appreciate because it comes so often now. In my area, we usually enjoy about 23 hours of light every day, and sometimes it stays for days without even blinking. For anyone who knows the usual Nigerian experience, this feels almost unreal. I still remember when the whole street would shout “Up NEPA!” like a festival, and kids would run around happily after being expectant for a period of time. Still, these days, the shouts have reduced because light has become a steady companion.

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I often think about how this steady power has changed the way we live. Back in the days, we used to plan our evenings around when the light would “likely” come. If it came late, students would struggle to read with lanterns or rechargeable lamps. Now, children can do their homework comfortably at night, fans run nonstop to keep us cool, and even simple things like charging phones no longer cause arguments at home. It may sound ordinary, but it has taken away a lot of stress from our daily lives.

Sometimes, when there is an outage, it feels strange because we’ve gotten so used to light being available. The good thing is that the outage hardly lasts long because most times, the electricity company quickly restores power, and everyone just continues with their activities as though nothing happened, compared to stories I hear from friends in other states, where darkness can last days, and I can really say that we are truly lucky.

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One of the most beautiful changes in my area is the silence of generators. Before now, the evenings were filled with the loud noise of generators from most of the compounds. It was a kind of noisy music that you had no choice but to live with. Now, you can walk down the street at night and actually hear yourself think. Businesses, too, have benefited from this stable electricity. Business owners like barbers, tailors, welders, and shop owners run their work smoothly without worrying about spending half their income on fuel.

But of course, light is not free. At the end of every month, the bills always arrive, and sometimes they are on the high side. In fact, some of my neighbors complain that the bills don’t really match their usage but when you compare the cost to the constant stress of buying petrol and fixing generators, most people still agree that paying the bills is a better option.

We also know that the electricity infrastructure must be protected. In some parts of Nigeria, transformers get stolen or vandalized because they are not guarded. Here in Amoyo, people are now more alert. The community keeps an eye on the transformer, and whenever something suspicious happens, it doesn’t take long before word spreads. It’s almost like a general duty because everyone knows what life would be like if the transformer disappeared.

Personally, I have noticed how much steady electricity has improved the general mood of people. There is less frustration, more productivity, and even more time for relaxation. I see students reading into the night, mothers ironing clothes without rushing, and shopkeepers keeping their cold drinks truly cold. These little things may not look like much, but they build up into a lifestyle of ease and comfort that we didn’t use to have.

So, for me, living in Amoyo with almost 23 hours of steady light is nothing short of a blessing. It has made life smoother, businesses stronger, and the community at ease. I just hope that what we enjoy here spreads to other parts of Nigeria, so more families can experience the joy of steady electricity without the endless noise of generators and the stress of unpredictable darkness.

Posted Using INLEO