The Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA), the umbrella organisation representing all community associations within Bodija, has appealed to the Minister of Power to urgently intervene in the ongoing electricity issues affecting Old Bodija, New Bodija, Basorun, Iwo Road, Oje, Mokola, and neighbouring areas of Ibadan.
Founded in 1959 by the then Western Nigeria Housing Corporation under Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s government, Bodija Estate is Nigeria’s oldest planned residential estate. Once a symbol of urban planning and organised living, the community now faces a deteriorating power supply that has disrupted daily life and economic activities.
This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by the President of Bodija Estate Residents Association, Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose.
The residents lamented that for more than five years, the electricity supply had been erratic, with outages sometimes lasting for days or weeks, and without clear communication from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
Although Bodija was initially classified under Band A, which guarantees a minimum of 20 hours of daily electricity supply, residents claim they never received such service, despite paying higher tariffs. Following the federal government’s tariff adjustment in April 2024, which raised Band A rates to ₦225 per kWh, the community was later downgraded to Band B, supposedly offering 16 hours of power daily, a target that has also not been met.
Currently, Bodija and its surrounding communities are served by a 40 MVA transformer, managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). However, the transformer is reportedly overloaded and unable to sustain the growing demand across the districts it serves.
The residents appealed to the Minister of Power and the Federal Government to approve and expedite the installation of the new transformer before the end of December 2025.
According to BERA, this single intervention will restore reliable electricity supply, boost local businesses, and improve the quality of life for thousands of residents.
They further noted that such action would honour Bodija’s historical legacy as Nigeria’s first organised housing estate and reaffirm the government’s commitment to equitable power distribution and sustainable community development.
In other news, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving power supply reliability and strengthening customer relations across its franchise area.
The assurance was given by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IBEDC, Engr. Francis Agoha, during a strategic breakfast meeting with Maximum Demand (MD) customers last month at the Jogor Centre, Ibadan.
The event formed part of activities marking the 2025 Customer Service Week, themed “Mission: Possible.”
Engr. Agoha described the meeting as a strategic platform to appreciate and engage key industrial and commercial customers, who constitute the company’s premium clientele.
“This meeting is not only to listen but also to appreciate you for your loyalty, partnership, and patronage,” he said.
