Nigeria, March 7 -- I don't know how it is in your part of town. But it's been a nightmare in mine, a supposedly middle-class residential area in Abuja, Nigeria's federal capital. Rolling blackouts do not begin to explain the depth of the misery. It's been a dreadful time of rolling and erratic blackouts. Like surfing an angry wave, if you understand what I mean.

Generators and other alternative sources of power, mostly inverters, solar panels and repurposed domestic gas, have replaced public power supply. Private power supply has become the main source; while public supply, if you ever get it, has become the back up.

At 144 kwh per hour annually, Nigeria is grossly underpowered. It is 80 per cent below expectations, with Ghana consumin...