The day Nigeria became a giant freezer
It was a hot and sunny day in Edo State, Nigeria. Okechukwu was sweating profusely as he walked to the market to buy some tomatoes for his wife. He wished he had enough money to buy an air conditioner, or at least a fan, but times were hard and he had to make do with what he had.
As he approached the market, he noticed something strange. The people were running around in panic, screaming and shouting. He saw some vendors throwing away their goods, while others were trying to salvage what they could. He wondered what was going on.
He asked a woman who was carrying a basket of fish on her head. "Aunty, wetin dey happen? Why everybody dey run?"
The woman looked at him with fear in her eyes. "You no hear? The president don talk say make we no use generator again. Say na solar power we go dey use from now on. Say na him way to fight global warming and save money for fuel subsidy."
Okechukwu was confused. "But how dat one take affect us here? We no even get light for this area."
The woman shook her head. "Na the problem be that. The solar panels wey dem install for us no work well. Dem dey freeze everything wey dem touch. See my fish na, dem don turn to ice block. Even the tomatoes, pepper, yam, everything don spoil. Na so so cold dey blow for here now. Abeg, make you run for your life before you catch pneumonia."
Okechukwu was shocked. He looked around and saw that it was true. The market was covered in frost and snow. He felt a chill run down his spine. He wondered how this could happen in Nigeria, a country that was known for its heat and humidity.
He decided to go back home and tell his wife what he saw. He hoped she would believe him and not think he was lying or mad. He also hoped that the president would reverse his decision and restore the generators, or at least fix the solar panels.
He thought of the irony of the situation. Nigeria, a country that had one of the largest oil reserves in the world, was now suffering from too much cold because of a faulty attempt to use renewable energy.
He laughed bitterly as he walked away from the market, leaving behind a trail of frozen footprints.
As he approached the market, he noticed something strange. The people were running around in panic, screaming and shouting. He saw some vendors throwing away their goods, while others were trying to salvage what they could. He wondered what was going on.
He asked a woman who was carrying a basket of fish on her head. "Aunty, wetin dey happen? Why everybody dey run?"
The woman looked at him with fear in her eyes. "You no hear? The president don talk say make we no use generator again. Say na solar power we go dey use from now on. Say na him way to fight global warming and save money for fuel subsidy."
Okechukwu was confused. "But how dat one take affect us here? We no even get light for this area."
The woman shook her head. "Na the problem be that. The solar panels wey dem install for us no work well. Dem dey freeze everything wey dem touch. See my fish na, dem don turn to ice block. Even the tomatoes, pepper, yam, everything don spoil. Na so so cold dey blow for here now. Abeg, make you run for your life before you catch pneumonia."
Okechukwu was shocked. He looked around and saw that it was true. The market was covered in frost and snow. He felt a chill run down his spine. He wondered how this could happen in Nigeria, a country that was known for its heat and humidity.
He decided to go back home and tell his wife what he saw. He hoped she would believe him and not think he was lying or mad. He also hoped that the president would reverse his decision and restore the generators, or at least fix the solar panels.
He thought of the irony of the situation. Nigeria, a country that had one of the largest oil reserves in the world, was now suffering from too much cold because of a faulty attempt to use renewable energy.
He laughed bitterly as he walked away from the market, leaving behind a trail of frozen footprints.
