Morganable News | Communities
Residents of Arepo community in Ogun State have threatened legal action against Ikeja Electric over a four-month electricity crisis that they say has disrupted homes and businesses.
Lagos —
Residents of Arepo community in Ogun State are demanding urgent action from Ikeja Electric over a prolonged electricity crisis.
The residents say the community has received barely two hours of electricity daily for about four months. They also claim that the poor supply has continued despite their classification under Band B.
Under Nigeria’s service-based electricity tariff system, Band B customers are expected to receive at least 16 hours of electricity supply each day.
However, residents say the reality in Arepo is far different.
The community has now threatened to take legal action if the situation does not improve.
Residents demand better supply
The residents’ concerns are contained in a letter dated July 20, 2026. The letter was addressed to Ikeja Electric and copied to relevant regulatory authorities.
According to reports, the residents gave the electricity distribution company one month to address their concerns or face legal action.
They are asking for an immediate improvement in electricity supply. They are also demanding the installation of prepaid meters for residents who do not have them.
In addition, they want Ikeja Electric to upgrade the electricity infrastructure serving the community.
For the residents, the problem is no longer a simple case of occasional power failure. Instead, they say the prolonged outage has become a major burden on daily life.
The community reportedly has about 850,000 residents. Therefore, the impact of poor electricity supply extends beyond individual households.
Businesses count the cost
Electricity remains important to homes, shops and small businesses across Nigerian communities.
When supply becomes unreliable, residents often turn to generators, inverters and other alternatives.
However, these options come at an additional cost.
For many small businesses, increased spending on fuel can reduce profits. Some traders and artisans may also struggle to operate for long periods without electricity.
The same pressure affects households.
Residents who work from home may need alternative power to charge phones, laptops and other devices. Families may also have to spend more money to keep basic appliances running.
As a result, the cost of poor electricity supply goes beyond the hours when the power is unavailable.
Band B classification raises questions
The Arepo situation has also drawn attention to the country’s service-based electricity system.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission introduced the system to link electricity tariffs to the number of hours customers receive. Under the classification, Band A requires a minimum of 20 hours daily, while Band B requires at least 16 hours.
Therefore, residents in Arepo are questioning why their actual supply is reportedly far below the expected level.
NERC says that when a distribution company fails to meet the approved minimum hours, its performance can be evaluated over a 60-day period. Where the failure is confirmed, the applicable rates for customers in the affected cluster can be adjusted in line with the quality of service delivered.
This provision gives residents a basis to seek answers when their electricity supply does not match their service classification.
Residents want compensation
Beyond improved supply, the Arepo residents are also demanding compensation for the hours of electricity they say they have lost.
They argue that residents should not continue paying for a level of service that is not being delivered.
Their demands include better electricity infrastructure, installation of meters and improvements to the network serving the community.
Metering is also important because it can help customers monitor their electricity use and reduce disputes over estimated billing.
Ikeja Electric currently provides information on its metering programmes and allows customers to apply for prepaid meters through its official channels.
However, residents want the metering process to reach those who are still without meters in the community.
A wider infrastructure challenge
The crisis in Arepo also highlights a bigger challenge facing rapidly growing communities around Lagos and Ogun states.
Arepo has expanded significantly in recent years. As more people move into the area, demand for electricity and other basic infrastructure also increases.
This means electricity infrastructure must keep pace with population growth.
Recent commentary on the situation has pointed to problems involving transformers, feeders and other parts of the electricity network serving Arepo and its surrounding areas.
When such infrastructure becomes overstretched or develops repeated faults, residents can experience long periods of poor supply.
Therefore, simply restoring electricity after each fault may not be enough.
The community may also need a broader assessment of its electricity network to determine whether existing infrastructure can meet current and future demand.
What residents expect next
For now, residents want Ikeja Electric and the relevant authorities to respond to their demands.
They want the electricity supply restored to a reliable level. They also want the outstanding metering issues addressed and the infrastructure serving the community improved.
Most importantly, they want clear communication.
Residents need to know why the supply has remained poor, what is causing the problem and when they can expect a lasting solution.
The situation also requires regulatory attention.
If customers are classified under a service band, the expected level of service should be clearly communicated and monitored. Where the required standard is not met, residents should be able to access the remedies provided under the regulatory framework.
For Arepo residents, the issue is no longer simply about having light.
It is about the cost of living, business survival and the quality of life in a growing community.
Their threat of legal action shows how serious the frustration has become.
Now, residents are waiting to see whether the electricity company and regulators will respond with concrete action before the dispute moves into the courts.
