Nigeria cuts electricity to Niger after coup

NIAMEY: Nigeria has cut its electricity supply to Niger after West African neighbours imposed sanctions on the junta that ousted the country’s elected leader last week, a Niger power company source said on Wednesday.

“Since yesterday, Nigeria has disconnected the high-voltage line transporting electricity to Niger,” a source at Niger’s power company Nigelec told AFP.

Niger depends on Nigeria for 70 percent of its power, buying it from the Nigerian company Mainstream, according to Nigelec, the country’s monopoly supplier.

The electricity is generated by the Kainji Dam in western Nigeria.

The capital Niamey has a local production source, but many districts suffered from frequent power cuts even before the coup.