Frustrated by the prolonged blackout caused by a faulty transformer supplying power, residents and business owners on six streets — Raji Oba, Awoyemi, Folarin, Ajala, Olonade, and Akinshola — in the Alimosho area of Lagos State have decried and lamented the over three-month power outage.
According to them, the power outage which occurred since second week of March 2025 is crippling businesses and severely impacting the quality of life in the communities.
The residents called on Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) to urgently look into the situation and address the prolonged power outage, especially fixing the faulty transformer.
The aggrieved consumers said the streets fall under the Band A consumers’ category, and that they should enjoy a daily power supply of 20 to 24 hours. They complained that this has not been the case for over three months, since the transformer was removed.
The residents said the prolonged absence of electricity has made them vulnerable to attacks from marauders who operate under the cover of darkness.
One of the residents, Michael, said the lack of power supply had worsened commercial activities in the community, adding that access to water had also been affected.
Michael said: “So, we are pleading as a community, as one, for Ikeja Electric and the appropriate authorities to listen to our cries to save our communities. Olonade-Akinsola and other streets have always been a good community, and we want it to remain like this.”
“We have been struggling in darkness,” another resident who identified herself as Mama Chioma said.
“We have been in total blackout for over three months, crippling businesses. We are pleading with IKEDC to urgently address this,” she further pleaded.
In a letter dated March 16 and addressed to IKEDC by the Olonade-Akinsola community titled: “Urgent request for Band A intervention on prolonged power outage in our community”, noted that several efforts and reports have been made to IKEDC’s customer service and local office, but the situation remains unresolved.
The community association noted that the sad situation had also grounded businesses and other activities that rely on electricity.
It partly reads: “The power failure has severely impacted our daily activities, businesses, healthcare services, and overall well-being in these six streets.
“We are yet to receive a clear response regarding an estimated time for restoration. The continuous blackout has caused significant discomfort, economic losses,and security concerns within our community.
“In the light of the above, we respectfully request urgent intervention and a directive to the appropriate department to expedite the resolution of this issue.”
The community further called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to urgently intervene.