Power Without Payment: Ikeja Electric’s Network Glitch Prevents Customer Recharges

Interviews with several Ikeja Electric customers revealed the extent of the problem. “My electricity ran out on Tuesday, and I’ve been trying to recharge since then, but the network keeps bouncing it back,” said Ebuka, a resident of Ago-Palace in the Okota area. “I had to buy fuel for my generator, even though power is available in my compound. It’s really frustrating that I didn’t top up my meter earlier.”

Ayotunde, who lives in Surulere near Kilo bus stop, shared a similar experience. “It’s frustrating. I can’t stay calm anymore,” he said in a phone interview. “I might have to call them out on social media because I don’t understand why such a minor issue is taking so long to fix.”

Ikeja Electric’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kingsley Okotie, confirmed the network problems are part of a nationwide outage impacting multiple sectors, including banks, leading to widespread transaction failures. “Ikeja Electric is not an exception, but we are working to resolve it,” Okotie stated. However, he could not provide a definitive timeline for resolution.

The company posted a notice on its official Instagram page apologizing for the disruption, explaining that its internet service providers are experiencing severe infrastructure issues. ... assured customers that Ikeja Electric is working closely with the providers to restore normal service as quickly as possible.

As the network problems drag on, Ikeja Electric customers are growing increasingly impatient, with many relying on backup generators at added expense. The issue highlights Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with both electric grid reliability and telecommunications infrastructure.

At the time of this report, the network issues preventing Ikeja Electric customers from recharging their meters remain unresolved. Affected residents are anxiously awaiting updates from the utility and hoping for a speedy resolution to this frustrating situation.