Nigeria’s remote tech workers spend up to ₦390,000 a month on power. It’s still not enough to work
244 grid collapses in 15 years. Fuel up 35% in two weeks. For Nigeria's remote workers, the numbers tell a brutal story.
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Ayodeji, a digital animator in Lagos, has two 25-litre jerrycans, a 4KVA generator, and an inverter with four batteries. Yet, in the past two weeks, none of these alternatives has kept him safe from the lack of power sweeping across the country.<br />
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“Electricity in this area has been unpredictably epileptic to put it mildly. You could have light for a day or two, maybe three days if Ikeja Electric is feeling generous, and then you could easily go nine days without a blink of electricity. On other days, electricity could be off and on five to six times within the same 60-minute period,” Ayodeji says.<br />
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Nigeria has long struggled with power instability. Between 2010 and 2025, the country recorded 244 grid collapses. In recent weeks, things have gotten worse. Gas shortages have forced several power plants to cut generation, leaving many Nigerians without electricity for days.<br />
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At the same time, petrol prices have risen sharply, from around ₦1,000 to as high as ₦1,300 per litre in some locations. The increase follows a series of price hikes by Dangote Refinery. The refinery, touted to help reduce local PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) costs at its completion, has raised petrol prices three times in a week, moving from ₦774 to ₦995, then to ₦1,175.<br />
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For the 84% of urban households in Nigeria relying on generators for backup power, this increased cost has placed an enormous strain on their finances. For tech workers in the country, many of whom work remotely and require stable electricity and Internet access, these issues have made it increasingly difficult to work.<br />
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Inconsistent power and productivity<br />
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For Ayodeji, the financial strain has been immense. In February 2026, he was spending ₦40,000 to fill his two 25-litre jerrycans. Today, that same quantity of petrol costs him ₦54,000, a 35% jump in just a few weeks.<br />
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“That amount of petrol can get me through the week if I’m burning through it daily to charge my inverter and cool my fridg...
