For more than two kilometres, the dual carriageway on Enugu Road in Nsukka runs in darkness after sunset. Residents say the streetlights have not worked since the end of former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration in 2023.
The road carries traffic heading north, including towards Ogwugwu and Akpanya in Kogi State. Along it are businesses at Ede Obara, FenPark Junction and St John, Ugwuoye.
What residents say
Moses Eze, a vulcaniser at Ede Obara, told The Whistler that crashes have become frequent, some of them fatal. He described a young man crushed by a tipper near FenPark Junction in the dark. Light, he argued, would save lives and expose criminals who hide at night.
Chief Obiora Idoko, who runs a pub on the road, remembered when it was lit and said it “looked like London”. Kate Ozioko, a food seller at St John, said working streetlights would spare her the cost of running a generator during power cuts. Residents, she said, “need help urgently.”
Why the lights are off
Checks at the state Rural Electrification Board reportedly found no fault with the lights themselves. A source there said they run on diesel, which has become expensive, while other parts of Enugu metropolis use solar power. The source said restoring the Nsukka lights was likely, but encouraged residents to keep pressing the government.
No official statement from the state government on the Nsukka lights had been published at the time of the report.
The question to ask
If other roads in Enugu run on solar, can Enugu Road in Nsukka be converted too, and when? OjolojoMedia will put that question to the relevant officials. If you live or work on Enugu Road, share what nights are like for you and your customers.
