Residents of Yartafki, Dankawo, Tudun Iya and Maska communities in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State have appealed to government authorities to urgently intervene and restore electricity to their areas after enduring nearly three years without power supply.

The affected residents, who spoke on Wednesday, described the prolonged blackout as a major setback to economic growth and daily living, saying businesses, artisans and households have continued to bear the burden of rising operational costs caused by the absence of electricity.

According to them, the outage was triggered by damaged electricity poles and other critical power infrastructure, a situation they said has remained unresolved despite repeated appeals to relevant authorities.

The residents lamented that the persistent power failure has crippled socioeconomic activities across the communities, forcing many small-scale entrepreneurs to depend heavily on fuel-powered generators to keep their businesses running.

A soft drink seller, Alhaji Ja’afaru, said the blackout has drastically increased the cost of running his business, as he now spends thousands of naira daily to preserve his products.

“I spend about ₦8,000 every day buying ice blocks from Funtua town to keep my drinks cold. The situation is becoming unbearable,” he said.

For local artisans, the impact has been even more severe.

A welding and fabrication technician, Malam Habibu Ibrahim, disclosed that his daily fuel expenses have skyrocketed since electricity supply was cut off.

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He explained that while he previously spent between ₦3,000 and ₦4,000 on petrol each day, he now spends as much as ₦20,000 depending on the volume of work available.

The rising cost of alternative power sources is also threatening the survival of other small businesses.

Muhammad Lawal, who operates a phone-charging centre, said he now spends between ₦6,000 and ₦7,000 daily on fuel to power his generator, significantly reducing his earnings.

He warned that unless urgent action is taken, many businesses could shut down, leading to job losses and further economic hardship in the affected communities.

The residents collectively called on both the Katsina State Government and the local government authorities to treat the issue as a matter of urgency and facilitate the repair of damaged electricity infrastructure.

Attempts to obtain a response from the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) were unsuccessful, as officials at the company's Funtua Zonal Office declined to comment on the prolonged outage.

The communities expressed hope that the renewed appeal would draw the attention of relevant authorities and bring an end to years of darkness that have continued to hamper development and livelihoods in the area.