IKE most businesses, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) pine under the yoke of epileptic power supply, as most of them commit a large chunk of their resources to provide alternative source of power supply for their businesses.
The result is that most of them not only end up using up their scarce resources, but the challenge of providing power supply for their businesses has led to the low turnover of most of these enterprises in recent times.
From foot-ware manufacturers to frozen food vendors, cobblers, dry-cleaners to hairstylists, barbers, vulcanisers, motor mechanics, sound mixers, video rentals, to viewing centre operators, graphics designers to grinding machine operators, printing presses to concrete mixers, pub operators, cafés, photographers, to mention just a few, all have suffered from the bitter pill of power crisis at one time or the other.
A case in point is Mr. Sola Soetan, who runs a fledging insecticides factory in Matori Industrial Estate in the Mushin axis of Lagos.
While sharing his experience with The Nation recently, Soetan said the challenge of power has been having a serious toll on his business in recent times.
“Providing an alternative source of power for our factory remains a major challenge for us to the extent that we have contemplated shutting down many times because of the drain on our resources as we hardly break even,” he lamented.
But as with all things human, there are a few exceptions. In the midst of this power crisis, some entrepreneurs have been able to find a way around this problem.
A cross-section of some respondents who spoke with The Nation shared personal experiences of their survival struggles.
Coping without steady
power supply
Mr. Oyebamiji Olamilekan, 25, runs Oyebam Footwear Design, Lawanson Street, Mushin, Lagos, which he set up in 2009.
Going down memory lane, Lokoso, as he is fondly called by friends, recalled that his business suffered a lot of drawback because he relied mainly on power supply from the Power Holding Company Nigeria, PHCN, at some point in time.
“Adequate power supply helps us in doing the finishing of our jobs, which are filling and sewing of leather, to make our work look smart and good. But the irony is that with PHCN, this was never adequate to sustain the tempo of manufacturing,” he recalled.
“Before we bought our generator, we do gather the foot wears which we want to file and sew together in one place until the PHCN supplies power. But then, we have to pile up the job and more often than not, we walk several miles in search of electricity from our friends who are also footwear designers. It was terribly stressful. In order to cope with this stress of epileptic power, I decided to buy a generator, so that we can do the finishing without any stress. And it has been useful and helpful. And we have been able to manage the cost.”
Like Olamilekan, Mr. Babatunde Felix, 40 years old, is a tailor by profession.
He tells his story: “I have been running this business for the past six years now. Here we have some sewing machines that require the use of power supply before it can be operated, like the phoenix sewing machine, weaving/sewing machine and industrial sewing machines. We also use electricity for ironing clothes when sewing and after sewing. So, our business can’t survive without light. But unfortunately, we have been at the receiving end due to frequent interruption of power supply which makes us not to rely on PHCN.
“I brought a generator which is used only for the weaving and phoenix sewing machine, while the industrial sewing machine can only be powered with a high voltage generator and not the smaller ones.
“What I adopted as a strategy is that I only make use of the industrial sewing machine once we have public power supply through PHCN as well as for ironing. We, however, complement it with charcoal-powered iron, especially if such clothes are multi-coloured clothes. But in some cases we give customers their clothes without ironing. These are some of the measures that have worked for me and business has been running smoothly somehow for me.”
For Femi Akanni, a young man of 28 years, who runs a barbing saloon at Odumagbo Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, which he set up over three years ago, 2010 to be precise, his survival strategy, in the face of unpredictable power supply, has been what he described as “some form of rationing.”
“I cannot barb without electricity. In short, I can’t do anything without electricity in this business, because this business needs electricity to survive. To get around this challenge, I had to buy a generator even before I started this business because I knew I will need it, so that I can attend to my customers if there is power cut. But then, I don’t run the gen for 24 hours non-stop but do so only when we have customers. That way, I’m able to manage fuel consumption and still manage to break even at the end. So, my advice to a prospective barber is that they have to be able to ration the way they run their generator, especially if they also contend with the problem of power like some of us do.”
Mrs. Ronke Badmus, 33 years old, is the Managing Director/CEO of Ronkey Graphic & Design, situated at Dehinbo Street, in the Mushin environs.
Mrs. Badmus, who has been managing the business since 2009, easily admits that: “Electricity helps us to carry out our work successfully, and without it we cannot work at all, because this business requires the use of electricity. It is the livewire. I have to buy a generator so as to cope with the business whenever there is no power supply, and it has been useful in so many ways.”
In the view of Azeez Yusuf, who has been running Ononuga Printing Press, a printing outfit, in the last five years, electricity is very important in his line of business, as such, he had to ensure that he had in place an alternative source of power supply to mitigate the perennial power cuts experienced from the PHCN.
He tells his story thus:
“All our machines, like Kord 201 cutting machines, need the use of electricity before they can function. Electricity is important in our work, because if there is no electricity we cannot work at all.
“I bought a Mikano generator, which we make use of whenever there is no power supply, that is how I have been able to cope without power supply.”
Mrs. Tawa Ibrahim runs a polymer factory, as such, she requires steady supply of power to be able to help in production. But public power supply is hardly ever available not to talk of being adequate at all.
“The state of electricity is very bad, it is very hard for one to start a business, which will require power in this country. So before you start, you must add in the budget allowance for your generator. I have been into business for seven years, so I know; it’s pretty difficult to survive in the business relying solely on public power supply.”
Idris Agboola is the owner of My Choice Barbing Saloon, a business he has run successfully for two years now. He recalls that: “I knew the state of power supply wasn’t good before going into this kind of business.”
One way he has been coping, according to him, is that “I don’t wait for them to bring electricity before I do what I have to do; I make use of my generator 24/7. As such, I can’t advice anyone who wants to go into this kind of business to depend on our power supply in this country because for now, it just can’t work.”
On his part, Rahseed Ogunowo, who has been managing Unique Barbing Salon in the past five years, says it is contrariwise to rely on public power supply. “We sometimes have power once in five days, so how can I do my business with that kind of power supply?” he queried.
“It’s impossible to do this kind of business without electricity because with an unreliable source of power supply business will be at a great loss. So, I make use of my generator, but I add more to my price, and, thankfully, my customers understand and things have been going on smoothly as far the business is concerned,” he quipped.
Lukmon Oluwole, who set up an aluminium frame business in April 2012, said of his experience: “We use electricity in cutting glasses because we cannot cut with our hands. So, we use a glass-cutting machine which requires the use of electricity and also we make use of electricity whenever we need to dig hole into a glass.”
Pressed further, he said: “Due to the instability of our power supply in Nigeria, I had to buy a generator, which we make use of whenever there is no public power supply.”
Rebecca Akinola has been running a frozen food store in the heart of Mushin since 2008.
According to her, “We need electricity to sustain and manage this business. If there is no electricity, all the chickens, turkeys and fishes we have in store will get spoilt, because they need to be frozen and it needs electricity before it can be frozen.
“I bought a generator, which requires a huge amount of money to get it. But it has been helpful.”
For Tunde Adeyemo, an electronic technician who began business some six years ago, electricity is the mainstay of his business, as such, he cannot do without it.
“We use electricity to confirm if what we have done is in good condition and we also use electricity when we want to make use of appliances like soldering iron.”
One way he complements the meagre public power supply is through the use of a generator and a power inverter.
“We make use of generator and inverter, which has helped us to cope with our work when there is no power supply. We make use of inverter whenever we don’t have fuel in the generator. So, that way, we are still able to deliver our jobs to the satisfaction of our customers without much of a delay, unlike when we were relying solely on public power supply which was hardly enough not to talk of being steady at all.”
Damilola Owodunni, a cyber café operator, commenced business in 2011. “We cannot operate without electricity. So electricity helps us to operate and manage our business
“We bought the necessary thing, which is generator, and it has been useful to us.”
Just like Owodunni, Mr Israel Adeshina, who runs a cyber café in Igando axis of Lagos, stressed that he hardly ever relies on public power supply for his business.
“I don’t depend on public power supply to run my business, because I know it’s not stable. I power my cyber café with a generator most of the time.”
Mrs. Adejoke Adelanwa sits atop as the CEO of God’s Own Frozen Foods, a business she has been running smoothly in the last two-and-half years now.
Sharing her experience, she says matter-of-factly: “This line of business can’t depend on public power supply, or else it will run down. I have been into this business for two-and-half years now, and have been making huge profit despite the fact that I rely more on power generated through alternative source of power supply like the generator.”
Just like Mrs. Adelanwa, Mrs. Bisola Lawal runs Bisola Frozen Foods. On her going spirit, she said: “I have been able to stay afloat in business through the use of my generator since 2011. I don’t depend on electricity at all, because if I do all my goods will get spoilt.”
Ojo Sunday, 32, is a photographer. He opened his photo studio in 2010. “We make use of electricity in the studio to make the pictures which we snap come out good, we also use it for the printing of pictures from the printer which requires power supply to do that and for charging our digital camera. But with a standby generator, we are able to still continue our work unabatedly whenever there is no power supply from the public source.”
Mr. Tunde Williams produces Wady brand of sachet water. Naturally, he requires steady supply of power to be able to run his business. But sadly, this is not always guaranteed, especially at the peak of production.
“The problem of adequate power supply in this country is a big one, I must confess, we make use of it whenever we see it, but we don’t depend on it at all,” he grudgingly admits.
“My generator is always available whenever I need it. To start any business that requires power supply, you must have an alternative, which is a generator. I have been in business for 10 years now non-stop. If you’re able to order your steps as I have done over the years, you will not only break even, but generate enough profit to expand the business on the long run.”
Mrs, Adebola Ogunmuyiwa has been managing Lady B saloon for the past four years. In those four years, she has relied more on alternative source of power supply than relying on the public source of energy.
“I was able to cope through the use of generator. What I do is that whenever I have customers I put on my generator, I don’t wait for power supply because it’s not reliable at all. I make profit, because I charge more when I make use of my generator.”
Mr. Godwill Peters runs a dry-cleaning business, which he set up in 2012. Acutely aware of the problem of incessant power cuts, he has never relied on public power supply since he set up shop.
“I didn’t even bother to connect electricity to my shop, because it’s not stable at all. Since I started business, I have been making use of my generator, though it costs more, but I prefer it.”
For Mr. Felix Goodluck, who manages Blessed Computer Works and Stationeries Stores, he attributes his staying power in business to the divine. “I have been coping by the grace of God. When customers come to make photocopies, or do any kind of computer jobs, I put on the generator and when I’m through I put it off, and if there is power supply, all well and good. The business is three months old. And I can tell without any fear of contradiction that I’m making profit. Or who will enter into a business that is not yielding profit?” he quipped rhetorically.
