Water vendors and sachet water dealers in Taraba State are experiencing a surge in business due to an extended period of power outages lasting over a week.
For the past ten days, Taraba State has been engulfed in darkness following the alleged vandalism of electricity cables belonging to the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC).
These circumstances have not only led to an increase in prices of essential goods but have also transformed the water business into a profitable venture throughout the state, now treating water as an economic commodity.
As of the latest update, the price of a sachet of water has risen from N20.00 to N40.00 due to the removal of fuel subsidies.
Both manufacturers and sellers attribute this increase to the power outage, which has also impacted fuel pump prices.
While fuel is now being sold at N820 per liter at various filling stations in Taraba, the black market prices have soared to N1000 and above per liter.
The ongoing power outage has exacerbated the situation, with water vendors charging N750 and above for a truckload containing ten gallons of twenty liters.
Some vendors blame the power outage for the significant price hike, making it difficult to pump water from its source.
At sachet water factories across the state, production has declined due to the persistent power outage.
Manufacturers fear that if the situation is not promptly addressed, they may have to downsize their workforce due to reduced daily output.
A pack of twenty sachets of water, previously sold at N270, is now priced at N300 due to the power outage, with the possibility of further price hikes to N350 on the horizon.
One water vendor, Usman Abbba, expressed that the price increase is not their desired course of action.