Ikorodu electricity blackout protest erupts as Lagos residents accuse Ikeja Electric of failing to replace faulty transformer after eight months outage

Residents of Waterfront Estate, Sekumade Estate and NBC Community in the Ebute area of Ikorodu Local Government Area on Friday staged a peaceful Ikorodu electricity blackout protest, accusing Ikeja Electric Plc of abandoning their communities to eight months of uninterrupted darkness.

Also read: FCCPC lifts seal on Ikeja Electric after compliance deal

The demonstrators converged on the Ikorodu Business District office of Ikeja Electric Plc, barricading the entrance and halting movement in and out of the operational premises for several hours.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Eight months in darkness. Enough is enough. Restore our light” and “IKEDC! You are supposed to be an agent of light, not an agent of darkness,” residents described the prolonged outage as devastating to livelihoods and household welfare.

Community members explained that electricity supply to the three estates collapsed in August 2025 after the only transformer serving the area developed a fault that has yet to be repaired or replaced.

One of the protesters, Moshood Aderibigbe, said repeated engagements with company officials failed to yield results, leaving residents with no option but public demonstration.

Moshood Aderibigbe stated that delegations from the communities, including women and a local councillor, had previously visited the company’s Alausa headquarters following assurances that action would be taken within weeks.

According to Moshood Aderibigbe, businesses across the estates had suffered severe setbacks, while artisans, traders and small-scale entrepreneurs struggled to survive amid soaring fuel costs required to power generators.

Tension briefly rose during the protest when an official attempted to address the crowd, but residents insisted on speaking directly with the district Business Manager.

Although the manager reportedly arrived at the premises, the official departed shortly afterwards without addressing the protesters, further intensifying frustration.

A senior company officer who later spoke to the crowd expressed sympathy over the hardship faced by residents and acknowledged delays in resolving the crisis.

The official explained that transformer replacement followed regulated technical procedures and disclosed that nearly 300 faulty transformers across Ikorodu were currently awaiting repair.

The officer assured protesters that efforts would be accelerated and pledged to liaise with the company’s head office to establish a clear restoration timeline.

The representative also promised a follow-up meeting with community leaders on March 5 to provide feedback on steps taken.

Also read: FCCPC seals Ikeja Electric headquarters over compliance

Friday’s demonstration highlights growing public pressure on electricity distribution companies in Lagos, where prolonged outages continue to pose a serious challenge to economic activity and daily living conditions.