EKEDC restores light to UNILAG after days of blackout

Paid N1.1 billion in 17 months to Eko Electric

The University of Lagos (UNILAG), has been reconnected to the national grid after days of blackout.

The institution was thrown into darkness over debt to the tune of N200 million.

But according to the management, the university, has paid a total of N1.123 billion in electricity tariff, to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), in the last 17 months.

The university’s spokesperson, Nonye Oguama, lamented the rising bill, served monthly on the university by EKEDC.

Oguama said the university could not cope with the exorbitant monthly bill because of its other financial obligations.

On why the institution is not generating its own electricity despite its human and other resources, she said: “The problem is funding. We are ready for the project. I don’t have the exact figure of the cost to fund the project but it’s a lot of money.

She said the institution is deliberating on the way forward to avoid the repeat of the ugly incident.

“I can’t say anything categorically now, but the school is working on the power situation,” she added.
Also, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe said the university in the last 17 months paid N51 million in January 2020; N50 million in February, N58 million in March, and N62 million in April, the same year.

Ogundipe said the electricity bill dropped to N26 million in May 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown and further dropped to N21 million in June, but went up to N24 million in July; N25 million in August, and N26 million in September.

In October, when activities started picking up again, the school was billed N56 million and it dropped to N29 million in November 2020, before it skyrocketed to N81 million in December when the electricity tariff was hiked in the country.

He added that EKEDC brought a bill of N84 million in January; N79 million in February and it rose to N85 million in March when students started coming back to hostels. In April, the school was billed N88 million and N181 million was billed in May, and N118 million in June 2021.