Electricity could be traded like this. Electricity could be traded like this. Picture yourself standing in a busy market, eyeing stalls piled high with fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions. You have options—bargain with the vendor who is cheapest today, skip the one who is overpriced, or buy from the one with the most decent price and cart away with it. Now, picture that same freedom, but for your electricity. No more being stuck with one provider who raises prices and leaves you with little or no choice. Instead, you are in control, picking the best deal from a lineup of suppliers, all thanks to blockchain. A Broken System In Nigeria, that is not how it works right now. You are tied to whatever company runs your area. Some people are paying through the nose—hundreds of naira for a single kilowatt-hour—while others barely get enough power to charge a phone. It is a monopoly that stifles us. But what if blockchain could flip the switch? A Market in Your Pocket Here is the vision: a phone app that acts as a power marketplace. Every electricity company posts its price—for instance, one at ₦190/unit, another at ₦250. You see it all clearly on a blockchain—a digital ledger that nobody can manipulate. You tap the app and say, “You know what, switch me to the cheap one.” Boom! A smart contract (think of it as an automated dealer) shifts you over—no paperwork, no waiting. Your payment goes through instantly, secured on that same blockchain, so no one is chasing you for unpaid bills. Better yet, electricity turns into tokens—digital credits you can buy at a low price, save for later, or even sell if prices spike. Imagine purchasing power at ₦200 today, then trading it for a profit when rates hit ₦240 tomorrow. It is like playing the stock market, but for keeping your deep freezer running! Everyone Wins This is not just a victory for consumers. The companies—those Discos we love to grumble about—would benefit too. Right now, they are stuck serving only a limited area. With blockchain, they could sell to anyone, anywhere, gaining more customers. Payments would reach their accounts the moment you buy—no delays, no excuses. Plus, they would have real-time data on demand, helping them improve service. And since we could switch providers anytime, they would have to step up their game. The Catch—and the Fix The Catch—and the Fix Of course, it is not all smooth sailing. The government must approve it; otherwise, this idea is dead on arrival. We would need smart meters—devices that communicate with the blockchain—and not everyone has one yet. Some companies might resist, afraid of losing control. And in areas with poor internet connectivity, how do people join the system? The solution? start small. Test it in a city like Lagos, where people are ready for change. Partner with telecom companies to roll out smart meters—they already know how to reach consumers. Give the Discos a share of the benefits so they get on board. And if the internet goes down, send a text with the latest deals. It is not perfect, but it is a start. The Big Picture Close your eyes and picture it: a family in Lagos picks a ₦200 deal, saving enough to buy their child’s school books. A large office with solar panels trades excess power with its neighbor, making extra income. Electricity providers compete to offer steady power, not just scraps, because they know we will walk away if they do not. And maybe, just maybe, solar and wind energy providers jump in, offering renewable power we can buy with a simple swipe. This is blockchain doing what it does best—cutting out the middleman, making things fair, and putting power (literal power!) in our hands. It is not science fiction; it is a solution waiting to happen. Nigeria’s electricity can be put on a marketplace—if we are ready to shop. Want to learn more? let us talk over coffee.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

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What If You Could Shop for Electricity Like You Shop for Groceries?

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