By Peter Dansu Residents of Badagry have decried what they described as years of poor electricity supply, excessive estimated billing and t...
By Peter Dansu
Residents of Badagry have decried what they described as years of poor electricity supply, excessive estimated billing and the continued lack of prepaid meters, accusing the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) of failing to provide value for the bills consumers receive every month.
The residents voiced their frustrations during an Electricity Summit and Town Hall Meeting organised between EKEDC management and stakeholders from the three local councils in Badagry. The meeting was held at the Badagry Local Government Secretariat in Ajara.
Speakers at the summit painted a grim picture of life in Badagry, where households and businesses are forced to endure prolonged blackouts while receiving electricity bills they described as outrageous despite little or no power supply.
The Depegan of Badagry, Chief Tunde Giro, said residents now feel abandoned, especially when compared with neighbouring Agbara, where electricity supply is considerably more stable.
According to him, Badagry consumers have become strangers in their own land as they continue to live in darkness while paying estimated bills every month.
He lamented that many residents had applied for prepaid meters without success, adding that some who reportedly paid close to N150,000 for the meters were yet to receive them.
"We are in darkness while Agbara enjoys regular electricity supply. Yet, every month we receive estimated bills that do not reflect the reality of what we consume. We appeal to EKEDC to correct these abnormalities and restore regular power supply," Giro said.
A trader at Agbalata Market, Mr Eze Bassey, said the poor electricity situation had forced several business owners to relocate to Agbara, where power supply is more reliable.
He explained that many traders dealing in frozen and perishable goods had suffered heavy financial losses as products spoiled during prolonged outages.
Bassey also criticised the estimated billing system, saying consumers who barely receive electricity for a few hours are still billed between N25,000 and N35,000 monthly.
"We can stay three or four days without electricity, yet our monthly bills remain between N25,000 and N35,000. We have applied repeatedly for prepaid meters, but nothing has been done," he said.
Also speaking, a resident of Olorunda Local Council Development Area, Mr Segun Hundeyin, alleged that the two prepaid meters installed in his residence had remained faulty since 2024 despite several complaints to EKEDC.
An engineer and resident of Badagry West LCDA, Mr Jacob Setonji, urged the electricity distribution company to treat Badagry consumers fairly.
He said he enjoys uninterrupted electricity whenever he stays in Agbara but experiences frequent outages immediately he returns to Badagry.
"How can people be paying between N25,000 and N35,000 for barely five hours of electricity? This is injustice," he said.
Responding to the concerns, EKEDC's Head of Distribution Operations, Mr Henry Ukoh, assured residents that all electricity consumers would eventually be provided with prepaid meters.
He explained that metering is being implemented through different programmes, including the Federal Government's free metering initiative and the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, where customers pay for meters and recover the cost through energy credits over time.
Ukoh disclosed that the batch of free prepaid meters allocated to Badagry was yet to arrive but assured residents that deployment would commence once available.
Addressing complaints about erratic electricity supply, he attributed the situation to increasing electricity demand and expansion challenges on the Badagry network, while assuring residents that efforts were ongoing to improve supply.
On the issue of estimated billing, EKEDC's General Manager, Commercial, Mr Dave Adeniji, said the company operates within the billing limits approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to him, estimated billing for unmetered customers is regulated and subject to statutory caps, warning that any violation of the approved limits would attract sanctions from the regulator.
The town hall meeting attracted traditional leaders, community representatives and key stakeholders, including Prince Yemi Akran, initiator of the electricity summit, Chief Finhento, members of the Akran Palace Cabinet, representatives of the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian French Language Village and residents from communities across Badagry.
For many residents, however, the promises from EKEDC will only be meaningful when they are reflected in improved electricity supply, fair billing and the long-awaited distribution of prepaid meters.
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