Living with Nigeria's blackouts - six weeks, no power

 Chidinma Emeneka is battling to keep her laundry business running amidst persistent power outages in Lagos, Nigeria. Inside her shop, Sparkle Inn Laundry Services, the dim reception area and slow-moving fan highlight the impact of unreliable electricity as staff wait for the generator to power up.

When the generator finally roars to life, it signals more than just electricity—it represents extra costs that have become necessary due to Nigeria’s ongoing power crisis. Over the past 10 days, a major fault in the national grid has left more than a third of Nigeria’s 36 states, including parts of Lagos, without power.

Ms. Emeneka, 27, is among countless business owners affected by these outages. She shared with the BBC that her business had to turn to costly generators after a six-week blackout in the past, which was caused by a power surge that damaged her electricity meter. "My meter is broken, the system to apply for a new one is down, and there’s simply no way to get electricity,” she said.

This time, the power cut has darkened her neighborhood for over a week. To cope, she’s been relying on both an inverter and a generator, though the rising fuel prices have made this increasingly challenging. “The fuel cost right now is overwhelming,” she explained.

Although her laundry service typically offers a 72-hour turnaround, the power disruptions have stretched wait times for some customers to nearly a week. Ms. Emeneka reports spending 35,000 naira ($21; £16) daily on generator fuel during sunny days when solar panels can assist. On overcast days, however, her fuel costs can almost double, adding to the financial strain on her business.