Lagos residents, business owners decry crippling power outages

Residents and business owners across multiple Lagos communities have lamented what they describe as persistent poor electricity supply by the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company, with many reporting that the situation has worsened living conditions and crippled small businesses.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, residents of Igando, Isheri, Idimu, Ikotun, and adjoining communities said erratic power supply had increased operating costs, disrupted daily activities, and exposed them to security risks.

A resident of Idimu, Abosede Akitan, said electricity is rarely restored during the day and, when it is, it lasts only briefly. “This has been our reality in the past few weeks. Living conditions have worsened because there is hardly any power supply. When they finally restore it, it does not last up to a minute. It has been a long time since we experienced something this bad. This is not fair,” she said.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said, “When there is no light, the whole place is in darkness. That is when thieves operate freely, and that is what we are now experiencing. Electricity is not just about comfort; it is about safety”.

Another resident, Yusuf Ayoola, said the situation had exposed residents to heightened security risks. “We have recorded an increase in theft and burglary since the power situation deteriorated. We want Ikeja Electric to urgently find a solution,” he said.

Business owners said they were bearing the brunt of the erratic supply. A shop owner on Governor’s Road, Felicia Adeyemi, described the situation as crippling for small-scale enterprises. “The situation is getting out of hand. They restore the light and take it again repeatedly. How do you expect small business owners to survive like this?”.

“My machines depend on electricity. If there is no power, I can’t work. Running a generator daily is too expensive because fuel is costly. Sometimes customers go elsewhere because I can’t deliver on time,” said another business owner.

In Isheri, a restaurant operator, Kemi Ayorinde, said she now relies almost entirely on generators to preserve food items and serve customers. “We can no longer depend on public power supply. Food gets spoiled when there is no light. We buy fuel daily, and it is eating deep into our capital”.

“We have prepaid meters, yet we hardly get a supply. We recharge, but the units remain unused because there is no power. It is frustrating paying for a service we are not enjoying,” she added .

When contacted, the spokesperson for the IKEDC, Kingsley Okotie, attributed the situation largely to a generation shortfall, resulting in load shedding.

The complaints from IKEDC customers mirror broader frustration across Lagos, where residents in areas served by Eko Electricity Distribution Company have also protested poor power supply despite paying premium Band A tariffs that promise 20 hours of electricity daily.