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Nina Simone once said, “It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times,” so Nigeria deserves all the artistic scrutiny it gets. While there are uncountable songs about the many social issues that resonate with Nigerians at the moment, we highlighted the seven that are articulate about our collective sentiments on electricity issues.
NEPA — Tony Allen
In 1985, the late Tony Allen released Never Expect Power Always (NEPA), and he just might’ve jinxed us for good with that title. The song was all about how useful electricity supply is to society and how its inconsistency affects people.
Just Like That — Fela Kuti
Fela trolled the government on “Just Like That”, a track off his 1986 Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense album. “White man rule us for many years, we get electricity constantly. Our people come take over, dem come build Kainji Dam. Dem come build the dam finish. Electricity come stop.”
N.E.P.A. Bring The Light — Neo
N.E.P.A. Bring the Light is a 2007 pop-rock song by a Nigerian band called Neo. Listeners will croak at the part that goes, “I went to NEPA office, they told me they never took the light.”
2010 Light Up — Sound Sultan feat. M.I Abaga
Sound Sultan sang, “When we ask our government o, when Dem go give us light, dem say na 2010,” over a decade ago. It’s 2024 and nothing has changed. We’re still asking when we’ll have stable electricity.
Rara — Tekno
In 2016, Tekno bemoaned how frustrating generator noises are on this danceable hit. He talked about fuel scarcity and encouraged government officials to invest in structural development. That was eight years ago. Nothing till now.
Nepa — A-Q
On “Nepa” off his 2020 God’s Engineering album, A-Q reminds us that Nigerian electricity always disappears anytime rain comes around. He compares NEPA to rappers that splurge on shiny jewellery but have no longevity. Another proof Nigeria’s messy situation is still bad enough to remain a relevant pop culture reference.
UP NEPA — XYZ
When hip-hop music producer and rapper, XYZ, lamented about the light issues on UP NEPA in 2023, he told us ceiling fans don’t roll when there’s no light. But the call-and-response chorus is where all the fun is at — “When I say Up, you say NEPA / Up! Nepa!” NEPA, please, answer our desperate cries.
Psst! Have you seen our Valentine Special yet? We brought back three couples – one now with kids, one now married and the last, still best friends – to share how their relationships have evolved in the last five years. Watch the second episode below:
The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
On Abroad Life today, Deyo tells us how his curiosity and passion for solving the electricity problem in Nigeria took him from the hydroelectric station in Kwara State to Canada and why he plans to return to Nigeria to implement all he’s learning.
How long have you been in Canada? AKA Abroad Nigeria
January made it five years, so five and a half years.
Wow! That’s a long time
When I first came here and met people that had been here for five years, I had the same reaction but five years later it still feels like I’m new.
What part of it feels new to you?
It’s mostly because I still meet people that have been here for decades, who moved here from Nigeria, and all over the world.
People say that everywhere you go in Canada, you’ll see Nigerians. How true is that?
It’s hard to survey. I’m in Ottawa and there’s a sizable number of Nigerians here, but if you compare it to Toronto, that number is nothing. You’ll find more Nigerians in Toronto than in any other place in Canada. I’m four and a half hours away from Toronto by road. That’s where some of my Nigerian friends are, so if I want to see them I’ll just drive there.
Ottawa and Toronto are in the same province which is Ontario, so in this province I’d say there are many Nigerians.
Do you know why Nigerians decide to stay in Toronto?
Toronto is a really big city. It’s like the Lagos of Canada. It’s a very metropolitan city, and it’s very busy so there are a lot of opportunities. It also has industrial activities so people go there to find opportunities.
When did you decide that you wanted to leave Nigeria?
I worked at Jebba Hydroelectric Power Station in Jebba which is a border town between Niger and Kwara state. The hydroelectric facility there uses water from a flowing river to generate electricity. At that point, I was looking to further my career and my experience there exposed me to renewable energy. The Nigerian power sector had too many problems for me to feel comfortable to develop professionally. I felt like going abroad would help me get some exposure and experience. The plan was to come back because I am mind blown at the amount of resources we have in Nigeria. I was exposed to how electricity was generated and all I could think about was how to scale it so that the entire population gets electricity, because we’re a huge population and the demand for electricity is high, but the supply is low.
Canada is very big in renewable energy so I chose to go to Canada.
Wait, so this isn’t a japa story?
Nope. I came to get some exposure, and then fix some problems.
It’s nice to see a different mindset. After five and a half years, would you say you have that same outlook?
Even though it’s taking a while, the answer is yes. People say things are bad in Nigeria and it’s silly to return and try to make it better but the fact is that things are bad all over the world.
So from Jebba to Ottawa, how has the self-development journey been?
I came out here as a student to do my masters. The opportunity to get into Canada was more on the studying part. That was the most feasible way for me, because if it was just getting a job, I wouldn’t be able to compete with other people. So coming to study was the approach. I came as a student, and I finished my masters in 2016.
The course — Systems Science — was very complex; the description is “a course about solving complex problems” and based on my exposure in the Nigerian power sector, I can say the problem in Nigeria is complex. I have been in the system and I know what’s going on there so I said to myself, “okay, Systems Science is good”. It was also a good segue from my Systems Engineering background in UNILAG, even though I didn’t finish that one with a first class or a 2.1.
So, a systems engineering background, masters from the university in Ottawa, and background in electricity generation in the power sector. You must have been hot cake.
I thought I’d be hot cake as well but soon I realised that these streets are tough. All around the world, an economy is an economy. Nobody just gets handed anything. I have seen many Nigerians come here and expect to ‘blow’ immediately. In trying to leave Nigeria, they burn bridges and then face reality when they get here. It doesn’t always end well.
So while still looking for a job, with my Canadian university masters, I started working at a warehouse, picking orders.
A Warehouse. How did that make you feel?
To me, it was unfair. It felt unfair because I felt that someone with a masters degree program in my discipline was not supposed to be doing such jobs. This was so far from my evaluation of what things would be. I had even engaged my fiancée before coming so that when I got my masters, I would bring her over, marry her, and then focus on the rest of my self development. Everything looked nice on paper. In retrospect however, that was one of my best learning experiences. I still work at that same company, but I rose through the ranks to where I am today.
She joined me later though and even though we had some paperwork problems that meant she had to go back to Nigeria for about two years with our son, she’s back and we’re all here together with our permanent residence, and with our son as a full citizen.
How did it feel raising a child away from home?
One word: Adventurous. At the point of fatherhood, I had already been through and survived enough life’s circumstances for me to realize that having an optimistic attitude would help me through my greatest challenges as I venture through life. So I just took it one day at a time.
I’m going back to the top now. How easy was it getting a student visa?
There’s nothing easy in this life but I don’t want to discourage anyone. They’ll give you a list of documents you need. Make sure you have all of them and follow due process. If you get rejected, which I did, take it as feedback and work towards not getting rejected again.
When you first got to Canada, what was the first difference you noticed?
The weather in Canada is as bad as people say it is. I came in winter with just a fleece jacket and when I got off the plane I thought there was some disaster going on. It was so bad, I had to run back into the plane to ask a guard if he knew what was happening outside. I usually like to keep an open mind, so a lot of the other stuff was just normal to me.
Like Racism?
Yeah any kind of discrimination, I don’t like using that word (racism). I don’t see it a lot, or if it happens to me I don’t engage in it. I try to navigate it and think maybe the person is having a bad day and acting like this but not that they’re being racist.
With this pandemic and everyone being at home, how has that affected you as a father, worker and husband?
I’m in charge of Quality Assurance for Information Systems where I work — the enemy of a software developer. To carry out that role there’s no need to be in the office so I’ve been working from home. The challenge with working from home is my son doesn’t want to hear any stories; he doesn’t understand what work is and why it is necessary, so he wants to play when he wants to play and I find that challenging because at first I tried to explain to him but now the challenge is being able to balance my work with his play time; I can’t really argue with whenever he wants to play. I never win, it’s just having to balance my time and work, that’s the challenge for me right now. My wife is very supportive.
Children…
So, where would you rather be, Canada or Nigeria?
It depends on a lot. Right now there’s a very interesting conversation going on globally around energy, energy access, energy efficiency, and energy security. With the way the world is, with the pandemic and all, being in Nigeria might be frustrating because everyone is meant to be staying indoors and how can you stay indoors without stable electricity. So I would love to be in Nigeria, but I wouldn’t want to be stuck in Nigeria because I’m not where I want to be in my self development journey. I still keep close contacts with a lot of people in the power sector in Nigeria and we talk about how to move things forward from bottom up but it’s not so straightforward.
I’m putting in the work though. I hope it works out.
What do you miss about Nigeria?
Family, friends and Owambe food.
I hope we see you soon.
Want more Abroad Life? Check in every Friday at 9 A.M. (WAT) for a new episode. Until then, read every story of the series here.
If you are a part of the very small percentage of Nigerian adults who have their lives put together enough to make budgets, we have a thing or two to tell you. While you might think that you’ve covered all your bases. You’ve made a budget for food, transport even Friday night faji, there are a couple of key things you are leaving out of your budget that could ruin your finances.
The second cloth you have to buy after your tailor takes the aso-ebi you bought for a wedding and travelled with it.
Please, when are we going to come together as a people and boycott Nigerian tailors?
The extra tyre you need to buy after that deep pothole on your street finally tears your tyre.
And the second one you’ll buy after the same pothole tears the new one.
If you thought you’ll need only 10k fuel for the month double it, because the transformer on your street will blow and you won’t have light for three months.
And you’ll still contribute for NEPA people to come and fix the transformer.
Drugs for malaria you only got because your street has been flooded for the past two weeks.
By the time you get your hospital bill, you’ll wish you just stayed home and prayed the malaria away.
The third and fourth internet subscriptions you have to pay for because the first two start moving mad.
Then you go back to the first two when the third and fourth one starts misbehaving too.
The funny sound your generator starts making even though you only serviced it last week.
You’ll think it just needs to be serviced again until your gen guy tells you, you need to replace the carburetor.
When someone steals wires from the NEPA pole on your street and you have to contribute to pay for it.
You also have to settle the NEPA guys who will come and fix it.
The new phone you have to buy because they obtained your old one in traffic.
Shebi if the traffic was moving the thief won’t have seen road to collect your phone.
When your rent is due on January 1st and your landlord tells you on the 31st that he’s increasing the rent.
After you’ve used all your extra money for December rocks.
Getting that message from your younger brother, sister asking for money.
Me sef I need epp.
The borehole in your compound just suddenly stops working because the last plumber to fix it used fake parts.
And you just fixed it last month,
All the people you have to settle just so you don’t die on the line collecting things like your driver’s license or passport.
And they’ll still ask anything for the boys after you’ve settled them.
Settling police so they can release your friend they carried for no reason.
They said because he was using an iPhone he must be a yahoo boy.
The side mirror of your car you have to replace because one danfo guy trying to overtake you hit it.
After hitting it he started rolling on the floor using God to beg you.
Having to replace the compressor of your freezer because NEPA blew it.
And the surge protector you bought was fake.
NEPA bringing a 90k bill for you even though they only gave you light twice that month.
If you don’t have a prepaid meter go and get one now.
The Nigerian power situation has been especially bad this year, due to militants’ sabotaging gas pipelines up east of the country. In March, power generation capacity actually fell from 5000 MW to a miserable 1,580.6 MW. With the help of the Japanese government however, light, it seems is now at the end of this very dark tunnel.
Brethren, it looks like our situation is finally about to change for the better! Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola is seen here inspecting the brand new solar-panels at Usman Dam, Abuja.
The panels were donated by the Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and are worth a whooping $9.7 million dollars!
We think it’s time to actually fast and pray for this country called Japan, because these guys must be angels of the good Lord.
The newly donated solar panels are expected to generate 1,496WH of power, and reduce electricity payment by N31.5 million per year.
The implication is that you and I will now pay less for more electricity-we hope!
To be honest, we are getting really tired of the NEPA wahala! Every time no light! We can’t charge phones, we can’t iron clothes for work and we can’t even watch Telemundo in peace!
So we really hope this donation translates to tangible, visible results; a lot of companies are finding it difficult to continue operations in Nigeria because of the mess that is our power situation.
We can’t wait for a time when we get to use clean, stable energy, and finally throw these annoyingly loud, pollution-inducing demons away.
Yesterday, there was no light in Nigeria. Yeah, we know, we know…you probably haven’t had light in 2 weeks. Well, I haven’t had light in 4 weeks, but that’s not the point.
We mean that for THREE HOURS, all of the power generating stations in Nigeria were generating a combined total of…wait for it…0MW!!!!
It seems like the mercy period for the Minister of Power, Works and Housing is over. As the former governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola impressed Nigerians and the rest of the world with his dedication and the transformation of Eko.
So when he was handed the mantle of leadership of not one, not two, but three important ministries in the country, on November 11, 2015, Nigerians gave him some time to do his magic.
But now, the believe is that he’s had more than enough time to have done something tangible.
Power generation initially peaked at 5,074.7 megawatts, in February 2015 — which was a new record in the history of Nigeria’s electricity generation profile. But it has, since then, fallen to an all time low of 1,580.6MW megawatts.
Electricity supply has gotten progressively worse since 2016 began and Nigerians cannot take it any longer.
Nigerians took to Twitter to express their displeasure.
Some wondered if he was even in office.
My APC friends, can you tell Nigerians when our Super Minister, Fashola is resuming office as Minister of Power, Works and Housing?
— Lere Olayinka – Aresa 1 (@OlayinkaLere) March 3, 2016
Some were not surprised by the state of things, but by Fashola’s silence.
The terrible power situation doesn't surprise me; Nigeria is a dysfunctional mess. "Super minister" Fashola's silence is baffling.
The Nigerian power situation has been especially bad this year, due to militants’ sabotaging gas pipelines up east of the country. In March, power generation capacity actually fell from 5000 MW to a miserable 1,580.6 MW. With the help of the Japanese government however, light, it seems is now at the end of this very dark tunnel.
It seems like the mercy period for the Minister of Power, Works and Housing is over. As the former governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola impressed Nigerians and the rest of the world with his dedication and the transformation of Eko.
