POWER: Six-Month Blackout Grounds Businesses, Sparks Outcry in Runde Community.

By our Correspondent, April 27, 2026.

Residents of Runde community in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, have decried a prolonged power outage that has plunged the area into darkness for over six months, crippling economic activities and disrupting daily life.

The community, located within the heart of the state capital, has reportedly been without electricity following the breakdown of its only distribution transformer, which serves hundreds of households. Efforts to restore supply have stalled, with residents blaming the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) for failing to repair or replace the faulty facility.

Investigations reveal that the transformer had developed faults several times in the past, with residents often contributing funds for repairs. However, the latest breakdown has proven too costly for the community to handle, leaving them in total blackout.

The Village Head of Runde, Mr. Johnson Markus Mashi, expressed concern over the worsening situation, noting that the burden of maintaining public power infrastructure should not rest solely on the community.

“Our people have done their best in the past to fix this transformer, but this time, we cannot continue to shoulder the responsibility alone. Government and the distribution company must step in urgently,” he said.

He recalled that Runde once enjoyed relatively stable electricity supply, a development that attracted small businesses and artisans to the area. According to him, the current outage has reversed those gains, with many residents now struggling to sustain their livelihoods.

Also speaking, a veterinary doctor, Dr. Tino, described the prolonged blackout as unacceptable, lamenting what he termed a lack of response from the distribution company despite repeated complaints.

Small business owners appear to be among the hardest hit. A dry cleaner, Mr. Timothy Emom, said he now regrets relocating his business from the ATC area to Runde in search of better electricity supply.

“I moved here because there was steady power then, but now everything has collapsed. My business is suffering because I rely heavily on electricity,” he explained.

Residents say the blackout has also heightened security concerns at night and increased reliance on costly alternative power sources such as generators, further straining household incomes.

They have unanimously called on the Taraba State Ministry of Power and YEDC to urgently intervene by repairing or replacing the damaged transformer to restore electricity and revive economic activities in the community.