Lagos residents protest 3-months blackout

Residents of Gowon Estate in Lagos State took to the streets on Monday, protesting a prolonged power outage that has left their community in darkness for nearly three months. The demonstration was held at the local office of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).

Gathering at the IKEDC office in the Ponle area, the frustrated residents demanded the immediate restoration of electricity. They reported that a faulty 500KVA transformer has left several streets, including B, C, D, and F Closes on 34 Road, without power since October 12, 2025.

Protesters accused the power distribution company of ignoring their numerous complaints and formal letters regarding the issue.

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Oluwatoyin Adebayo, one of the demonstrators, highlighted the daily struggles faced by families. “Because there is no light, we can’t buy things to keep in our freezers anymore. Food is spoiling,” she lamented.

“We don’t even have money to buy things because our husbands say we are just wasting money on fuel every time. We are near the IKEDC office; they are our neighbours, yet they are punishing us.”

Another resident, Reverend Tom Omorogbe, stated he was spending up to N30,000 daily on fuel for his generator, even though he had already paid for electricity units on his prepaid meter that he cannot use.

“We are Nigerians, not foreigners. We pay our bills,” Omorogbe said. “Our money is trapped in the meter, and they are using our money to run their business while we are buying fuel again.”

The impact on vulnerable community members, such as children and the elderly, was a major concern. “School has resumed. We want to store food to take care of our children, but we cannot because the food will spoil. Three people have died because of the heat,” said a protester named Ingobu, who chanted “enough is enough.”

She added a stern warning: “If they don’t do something, we are not here to joke. We need our light now. If not, this week or next week, we will lock this place. Nobody will come in, nobody will go out.”

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Correspondence from the community revealed a timeline of unfulfilled promises. A letter sent to IKEDC explained that after the transformer failed on October 12, company engineers visited on October 15 and confirmed it needed repairs. However, no further action was taken, leaving residents in the dark.

“The entire community has been in total darkness since 12th October, 2025, while the faulty transformer remains untouched,” the letter stated. “We are passionately appealing to your organisation to please take urgent action on this matter.”

A separate petition to the state government noted that the same transformer, which is reportedly over 40 years old, broke down again on December 13 after a brief period of service following an earlier outage. The petition, signed by resident Dipo Oduko, called for a complete replacement.

“We are therefore appealing to you, sir, to kindly rescue us from this suffering,” the petition read. “Many of us are retirees that had served this nation in our various callings meritoriously and deserve a quality and decent living in our old age.”

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In response to the protest, a senior IKEDC official addressed the crowd, apologising for the delay and assuring them of a swift resolution. “The management was not aware of your communication to us; if we had received it, your demands would not have taken a longer time,” the official explained.

He promised immediate action, stating, “We will send our engineers there to see the possibility of providing a solution. The first option is to see how we can put you on an adjoining transformer, and if that does not work, we will give you a very reasonable time limit to see how we can get you another transformer.”

Residents of Unity Estate in the Badore area of Ajah, Lagos State, have been enduring a prolonged power outage for two months due to a faulty transformer. The community, which includes a significant number of retirees, has voiced its frustration over the extended blackout that has left them without electricity.