Ikeja Electric PLC has announced a temporary shutdown of its Smartcard Meter Vending System due to ongoing upgrades to its backend infrastructure, leaving many prepaid electricity customers unable to recharge their meters.

The distribution company announced this in a public notice on Friday.

Ikeja Electric attributed the downtime to compatibility issues between the upgraded system and public vending platforms, including point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

The company, however, did not specify when services would resume but promised to provide timely updates as work progresses.

The public notice says, “We wish to inform you that due to ongoing upgrades to our backend systems, our Smart-card Meter Vending platform is currently experiencing downtime.

“Our technical team is actively working to resolve the compatibility issues affecting POS terminals and other public vending channels. We are committed to restoring services as quickly as possible and will provide timely updates on progress.

“During this period, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to serve you better.”