In Nsukka, power outage makes phone battery chargers smile to bank

Service providers in Nsukka, Enugu State in eastern Nigeria, who charge telephone batteries for people in exchange for money now smile to the banks as many people now depend on them.
Called “telephone battery chargers’’ they have been making brisk businesses as a result of the perennial power outage in the town

Mr Julius Mbah, who operates at Odenigbo Road, in this university town, said that the worsening power supply had made his customers to increase.
“As result of prolonged power outage in the town which is about a week now, many residents now patronise us to enable them to make use of their phones.
“Since this power problem deteriorated, I now make N1000 profit daily after removing the money I use in buying fuel and other expenses.
“Because of the profit I make, I opened another centre at Onuiyi where I employed somebody. I open round 7a.m. and close around 9 p.m.,” he said.
Another “charger’’, Mr Sunday Eze, corroborated Mbah’s claim that the business was now more lucrative than when he started in 2010.
“Since the power problem worsened, I have recorded much gain from this business, though l at times run into the problem of impersonation as some fraudulent person often collect other people’s batteries.
“For instance, in the last two weeks, I paid for two Nokia phone batteries which some impersonators collected.
“That is why I now give numbered cards to my customers which they must present before they can collect their batteries,’’ he said.
Mr kennedy Ani, who operates at Ogurugu Road, said he would be happy if the poor power supply would continue to enable him make more gains.
“Do you know that some people, who looked down on us as mere phone battery chargers, now want to join in this business because it is now lucrative.
“People do not only charge their phone batteries, some bring their rechargeable torch, lantern and their laptops for charging.
“I charge N30 for phone batteries, N50 for reachable lantern and N70 for laptops. I must confess, we are making brisk businesses as result of constant power outage,’’ he said.
A customer, who identified himself as Mrs Chinyere Ugwu, said she had spent a lot of money charging her phones as all the members of her family charge their phones outside because of power outage.
“We stay at times for five day to two weeks without public power supply. I am trying to influence my husband to buy a small generator because we cannot continue spending money everyday to charge our phone batteries.’’
When contacted, an engineer in Nsukka Business District of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), who pleaded anonymity said the problem was not from them as they only distribute what they get from those in generation.
“We are not happy that our customers are complaining everyday of poor supply; the problem is from generation, our customers should bear with us.
“I also use generator in my house, everybody is suffering it,’’ he said