Residents of over 200 estates along Orchid Road in Lekki, Lagos, have condemned the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) over what they describe as years of unreliable power supply. Under the banner of the Lekki Conservation Estates Development Association (LECECODA), the residents have accused EKEDC of neglecting the community, which comprises more than 5,000 homes and businesses.
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At a protest held on Saturday, the association’s president, Osas Airen, detailed the persistent challenges faced by the neighbourhood. “We have been having conversations with EKEDC about poor power supply since 2020,” Airen said. “Despite over 15 meetings and our switch to Band B services, we still experience less than two hours of electricity daily.”

He appealed to the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), the Lagos State Government, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for intervention. “We are prepaid customers who owe EKEDC nothing, yet we endure blackouts and abysmal service. Businesses have collapsed, and for some areas like Lafiaji, there hasn’t been power for over two years.”

The residents detailed their grievances, citing unfulfilled promises and deteriorating services. Bode Akinwande, Vice President of LECECODA, urged EKEDC to activate a newly delivered transformer to alleviate the problem.
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“In my four years living here, power supply has gone from bad to worse,” said Ejiro Owede, a member of the LECECODA Power Committee. “During the rainy season, we have no power for days, and our numerous meetings with EKEDC have yielded no results.”

The protest highlighted the economic toll of poor power supply. Businesses have turned to costly diesel generators, pushing operational expenses to unsustainable levels. “EKEDC’s inefficiency is impoverishing lives, not improving them as their slogan claims,” Owede added.

Residents were unanimous in calling for a dedicated power line to the area. “We were promised a minimum of 22 hours of electricity daily but barely get 22 hours in a week,” lamented Temi Ofuya, a resident. “This community is prepared to pay for power. All we ask for is a reliable supply.”
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Oloso Saheed, chairman of Cooplag Gardens Estate, highlighted voltage fluctuations and equipment damage caused by EKEDC’s inconsistent supply. “People are leaving our estate for areas with better power stability,” he said.

The chairman of DPKay District Estate, Adeyinka Aderemi Adetukasi, condemned EKEDC’s performance as “egregious and unacceptable.” He called for immediate action to rectify the issue, saying, “This dereliction of duty is an affront to basic service standards. Residents demand reliable electricity commensurate with the fees EKEDC collects.”

LECECODA has vowed to escalate its advocacy for improved power supply. The association urged state and federal agencies to hold EKEDC accountable and deliver long-overdue relief to the Orchid Road community.

Attempts by our correspondent to reach the spokesperson of EKEDC, Babatunde Lasaki, for his organisation’s take on the electricity situation in the affected estates were unsuccessful as his mobile phone number was unreachable.

As residents of Lekki continue to grapple with unreliable electricity, their plea underscores a broader issue plaguing many Nigerian communities—one that demands urgent and decisive action.
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