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If you’ve ever done a big food shop only for the lights to flicker out ten minutes later, welcome to the club. In Nigeria, power outages (or “NEPA has taken light,” as we all say) are as common as jollof rice at a party. This year alone we have had two “partial” national grid collapses that cut the electricity supply to multiple l states and we are still in May.
When an electricity blackout occurs, your fridge stops humming, the clock starts ticking and you start getting anxious and worried because your freezer is packed with meat, vegetables, and fish that need to be frozen or at least cold for preservation.
So what’s the best way to protect your food (and your money) during a blackout?
1. Keep the Fridge and Freezer Closed
The number one golden rule you should follow when there’s an electricity outage is not to unnecessarily open your fridge or freezer. Cold air escapes every time you open it, and the internal temperature rises.
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Your fridge and freezer are like makeshift coolers when the power goes out, but only if you leave them closed. The less you open them, the longer the cold air stays trapped inside.
A fridge will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours.
A full freezer stays frozen for up to 48 hours (or 24 hours if only half full).
Instead, you can fill any empty freezer spaces with bottles of clean water in advance. Once they are frozen, they help keep everything else cold for longer.
2. Preserve Important Foodstuff with Ice
If the blackout lasts beyond twelve hours, you can either transfer perishables like meat, dairy, or leftovers to a cooler with ice blocks or, if you have a big enough freezer, place the blocks in it and keep it closed. You can buy ready-made ice blocks or freeze your own in advance. Styrofoam or insulated coolers work best.
Don’t use crushed ice; solid blocks melt more slowly and cool better.
Keep the cooler closed unless it is absolutely necessary to open it.
Insulated Cooler With 2 Wheel-50 Liter
If you don’t already have a cooler, this might be the time to invest in one, especially if you live in areas with frequently unstable power. You can get this Styrofoam cooler for ₦10,000 at Jiji or a 2-wheel 50-litre insulated cooler with bigger storage for ₦98,500 on Jumia.
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3. Cook What You Can Immediately
If you sense the outage might last longer than a few hours (and you usually can), cook your meat, fish and vegetables as soon as possible. Cooked food lasts longer, especially when they’re stewed or seasoned heavily.
You can turn your raw beef into stew, fry your fish, and make soups that can be reheated later.
Nigerian soups like ogbono, egusi, and pepper soup can last a day or two at room temperature if you reheat them thoroughly every 12 hours.
Divide the food into smaller portions to make reheating faster and safer.
Get these 1.2-litre containers for ₦6,720 per dozen from Plastic Store. You’ll never know when they’ll come in handy.
4. Salt and Smoke Your Proteins
Before the days of fridges and freezers, our parents and grandparents preserved meat and fish with salt and smoke and it still works today.
Salting: Coat meat or fish generously with salt to draw out moisture and prevent bacterial growth.
Smoking: Set up a charcoal smoker or use an open fire grill to smoke your proteins. This changes the flavour and extends shelf life, especially for fish and chicken.
You can get this Outdoor Backyard Cooking Kettle Charcoal Grill with Wheels for ₦70,080 on Adunnis. It has a steel frame and wheels make it easy to move around. Once appropriately smoked, fish and meat can stay edible for days without refrigeration.
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5. Sun Dry Fruits and Vegetables
Sun-drying is a low-tech but highly effective option if you’ve bought more fresh produce than you can use.
Wash and slice fruits like mangoes or bananas thinly and place them on clean trays under the sun.
For vegetables like ugwu (fluted pumpkin), scent leaf, or bitter leaf, blanch briefly, squeeze out excess water, then spread under the sun to dry.
Once they are dry, store them in airtight containers or resealable bags away from moisture.
6. Use Airtight Containers for Dry Goods
Power outages don’t only threaten cold items, humidity and heat can also ruin pantry food items like garri, rice, flour, and beans.
Store all dry food items in airtight plastic or glass containers to protect against moisture, insects, and mould.
Avoid leaving food in thin nylon or paper bags because they provide zero protection during a blackout.
7. Reheat Food Regularly
If you have cooked soups or stews sitting at room temperature, they can spoil fast in Nigeria’s warm climate. To avoid waste:
Reheat thoroughly every 12 hours to kill bacteria.
If the food smells off or tastes sour, don’t risk eating it because it’s safer to throw it away.
8. Stock Up on Shelf-Stable and Tinned Foods
Power or no power, some foods don’t need refrigeration:
Tinned sardines, corned beef, baked beans, tomato paste, powdered milk, custard, and instant noodles are all shelf-stable food items.
Peak UHT Full Cream milk
UHT (long-life) milk can stay on the shelf until opened. This Peak UHT Full Cream milk from Supermart is for ₦3,685. It is a full-fat milk known to make you feel fuller for longer and has a longer shelf life. UHT milk has been treated at a very high temperature of at least 135° Celsius for a short period.
Having a stash of these essentials helps you survive extended outages without worrying about food going bad.
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9. Invest in Power Alternatives (If You Can)
A small generator or inverter can keep your freezer running just long enough to maintain your food. Shop this SAKO hybrid solar inverter for ₦172,500 from Kara. It uses solar energy, a battery, and grid power to provide a continuous power supply.
If NEPA’s unreliability is costing you too much in wasted food, it might be time to explore power backup options:
Rechargeable or solar-powered fridges are becoming more available in Nigeria.
A gas-powered fridge can be a good long-term investment in areas with chronic power issues.
In a country where the lights can go off at any time, preserving food is both a survival skill and a money-saving tactic. From age-old methods like salting and sun-drying, to modern hacks like coolers and solar fridges, you don’t have to let a NEPA blackout ruin your food supply.
The best thing you can do is to prepare yourself. A little foresight goes a long way in keeping your groceries fresh, your money intact, and your stomach full even when the lights are out.