Residents and business owners in Igando, Isheri, Idimu, Ikotun and adjoining communities in Lagos State have lamented what they described as persistent poor electricity supply by the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company.
Speaking with NGGOSSIPS Metro in separate interviews on Wednesday, residents said the situation had worsened living conditions, while business owners noted that erratic power supply had increased their operating costs and disrupted daily activities.
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.
Many residents also expressed concern over rising insecurity, noting that prolonged darkness at night had made some streets vulnerable to criminal activities.
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? We now spend more on fuel than the profit we make,” she said.
A welder in Ikotun, who identified himself simply as Sunday, said unreliable power had forced many artisans to scale down operations.
“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,” he said.
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.
“We recently issued a public notice on this. Power generation plants are facing gas supply limitations, affecting optimal production. The situation is being addressed by relevant stakeholders, and we appeal to customers to bear with us,” he said.
