Ajao, Mafoluku communities lament week-long blackout

By : Eniola Daniel

Date: 22 November 2022 4:33am WAT

[FILES] Motorists drive at night on a road without street light as Nigeria struggles with power outages in a commercial district of Ojota, Lagos on March 21, 2022. - Blackouts are common in Africa's top petroleum producer, where dilapidated infrastructure often fails to distribute even insufficient electricity supplies. But extended collapses of the power grid over the last several weeks have combined with a global hike in diesel prices to create one of the country's worst recent energy crises. Many businesses rely on diesel generators to keep the lights on when power is out, and since Ukraine's crisis doubled fuel prices in Nigeria, operating costs are sky-high. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

• IKEDC keeps mum as workers use hand fans
Residents of Ajao Estate and environs, Lagos have lamented week-long blackout in the area, a critical location near the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

They also lamented that the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) is slow in resolving the issue.

The blackout was allegedly caused by vandalisation of a 33kv underground cable feeding Ajao estate, which occurred twice within a week.

A resident said: “Members of the Oodu Peoples Congress (OPC), arrested a driver, who allegedly vandalised the cable, but we have not heard anything ever since.

“I have spent a lot on fuel to keep my food preserved. We are just begging them to fix the light.”

When The Guardian visited Ajao undertaking at 28, Stella Sholanke, Ajao Estate, Lagos, yesterday, officials were seen using hand fans due to keep cool as a result of high temperature; and there was no business taking place at the office.

One of the officials at the office told The Guardian: “I just resumed office and I don’t know how long the outage has lasted. I am not authourised to speak on it. So, I can’t say anything.”

The Guardian was directed to Business Manager of IKEDC, Oshodi Unit, Taofeek Basayan for comment.

When The Guardian reached out to Basanyan, he neither picked his calls nor responded to text messages sent to his phone.

Contacted , an official of Lagos Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said no vandalism incident was reported at their office.

He urged residents and corporate organisations to report such incidents to the corps for prompt action.