Nigeria, March 29 -- At about 5 p.m. on a sunny day in February, a small fire flickered behind a restaurant owned by Lateefat Olofin, 55. She moved briskly between tables set up outside, serving customers sitting in the open because of the heat inside the restaurant. Mrs Olofin's customers needed chilled drinks to accompany their meals as the temperature was above 30 degrees Celsius.

She told PREMIUM TIMES that Ketu-Epe, a suburban community in Lagos State, has been in darkness since September 2025, when vandals cut high-tension cables serving her community and nearby neighbourhoods. To keep her business running, she frequently travels to Ikorodu or Shagamu in Ogun State to buy ice blocks for her meat and drinks.

"Every day, we spend ab...