BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
Major cities in Niger Republic are experiencing power blackouts following last week’s coup in the West African country.
The power shortages are a result of Nigeria cutting supplies to its northern neighbour, Niger’s electricity company, Nigelec revealed.
The Economic Community of West African States has imposed sanctions on Niger over the coup but it is yet to be known if the power cut by Nigeria was part of the sanctions.
The ECOWAS defence chiefs are currently meeting in Nigeria to discuss the Niger crisis.
On Sunday, West African leaders gave Niger’s military junta a week to give up power or face possible military intervention.
European countries are currently evacuating its citizens from Niger.
Residents living in the cities of Niamey, Maradi and Zinder had power for about an hour at a time before it was switched off for up to five hours.
Power cuts like these are unusual in Niger, which normally has regular and reliable supplies but the country is heavily dependent on Nigeria, as its main supplier of electricity.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria is yet to comment on the power cuts in Niger but sources say the supply to Niger was cut on Tuesday following a presidential directive.
Niger’s democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown in a military coup last week by his own presidential guards while the constitution was suspended and General Abdourahmane Tchiani, chief of the presidential guard, was installed as the head of state.
While the country’s borders with Nigeria remain closed, the military government announced the re-opening of Niger’s borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Chad.
An ECOWAS delegation met in Niger on Wednesday as mediation continues following the coup.
It was led by Nigeria’s former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who oversaw that country’s transition from military rule to democracy in 1999.
