
In response to the recent military coup that ousted Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, the Nigerian Government has made a decisive move to halt the supply of electricity to the Niger Republic. The decision was reached during an emergency meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which imposed sanctions on the Niger Republic following the coup, as reported by Daily Trust.
Nigelec, the electricity company of Niger, disclosed that the power cutoff was a result of the imposed sanctions, which included freezing utility services. BBC reported that the cities of Maradi, Zinder, and Niamey experienced a brief period of power availability for approximately an hour before enduring up to five hours of electricity outage. Such power disruptions are unusual in Niger, a country that typically enjoys stable and reliable electricity supplies.
The Niger Republic heavily depends on Nigeria for about 70 percent of its electricity supply, which is mainly generated from the Kainji Dam. This dependency has made the power halt a significant and impactful move amid the ongoing political turmoil.