The moment your generator becomes your most expensive family member

My generator has been running since Wednesday because NEPA decided to go on a silent retreat. I spent ₦45k on fuel in three days. That is more than I spend on my own feeding in a week.

Yesterday my mother called from Ibadan. She said, ‘Jide, how are you? Are you eating well?’ I told her I am fine, the generator is the one that is suffering. She laughed. Then she asked me to send her money for her own generator fuel. So now I am funding two generators. Mine and hers.

The math does not work. I ran the calculation. If I add up what I spend on generator fuel, maintenance, and the guy who comes to ‘service’ it every month, I could literally pay for a small flat in a place with stable power. But there is no such place in Nigeria. So I will keep feeding this metal child that never says thank you.