Lekki residents cry out over two-week blackout

Residents of Lekki Phase 1 have decried a prolonged two-week power outage following a transformer fault, blaming EKEDC for poor communication and negligence.

Some residents of Lekki Phase 1 have decried the prolonged power outage that has crippled activities in parts of the neighbourhood for almost two weeks following a transformer fault. The residents also condemned what they described as negligence, poor communication and indifference on the part of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) during the blackout.

One of the residents, Mr Taiwo Bolodeoku, described the situation as disturbing and disheartening. “It has been almost two weeks now since a transformer blew up with a loud bang. The transformer services our home and quite a number of other houses in the area. No information has been given, no apology has been sent out, and we wonder what is going on as we continue to wait endlessly,” Bolodeoku said.

Another resident, Mrs Margaret Sogbesan, accused the EKEDC management of playing politics with the situation. Similarly, Mr David Nezaya said life had become unbearable since the area was thrown into darkness nearly two weeks ago. “I work from home, and it is so terrible that I have to power my generator for hours. It is very frustrating,” he said.

The power outage is a reminder of the persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s electricity sector. The failure of a transformer should not lead to a two-week blackout. The lack of communication from EKEDC is unacceptable. For residents, the outage has imposed significant financial burdens, with spoiled food and increased fuel costs.

This echoes the 2022 blackouts in Lagos, which also exposed the inadequacies of the electricity distribution companies. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: residents bearing the cost of the sector’s failures.

The winners: none. The losers: Lekki residents, who face financial burdens; and EKEDC, which faces reputational damage.

Bottom Line: Lekki residents have been without power for two weeks. EKEDC is working on repairs. The question is whether the power will be restored as promised.