Lekki residents engage EKEDC to tackle persistent power supply crisis

KEY POINTS

• LERSA residents and stakeholders met with the leadership of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Monday to find solutions to chronic power outages across the Lekki corridor.
• The urgency for stable grid power has surged due to record-high petrol prices caused by Middle East tensions, making private generators unaffordable for many residents.
• Key issues identified include inadequate transformers, frequent injection feeder breakdowns, aging distribution lines, and voltage fluctuations.
• The utility firm has committed billions of naira to infrastructure, with 100 transformers available for deployment and several substation upgrades currently nearing completion.

MAIN STORY

Residents along the Lekki-Ajah axis, under the umbrella of the Lekki Estates and Residents Stakeholders Association (LERSA), are pushing for immediate improvements to the regional power grid. At a high-level meeting on Monday, LERSA President Mr. Sulyman Bello emphasized that reliance on petrol-powered generators has become unsustainable for residents following the recent spike in fuel costs.

The engagement moved beyond complaints to a technical review of the “black spots” within the corridor. Affected areas cited include Sangotedo, Abijo GRA, Lakowe Phase II, Ajah, and Agungi. LERSA Power Committee Chairman, Mr. Obi Isiuwa, noted that while some issues like transformer replacements are short-term, others involving the rehabilitation of injection feeders require deeper investment.

Responding to these concerns, EKEDC Deputy CEO Mr. Olumide Jerome revealed that the company is in the middle of an aggressive infrastructure overhaul. However, he pointed out a significant challenge: illegal redevelopments. Jerome noted that many residential buildings have been converted into high-rise hotels or apartments without upgrading their power requirements, putting an immense load on public transformers. He urged developers to provide private transformers for such energy-intensive projects.

EKEDC’s Head of Projects, Mrs. Angela Ukhokhoakhe, provided a breakdown of completed and ongoing works:

• Completed: Rehabilitation of 26 feeders and commissioning of the NTDA Injection Substation.
• Ongoing: Upgrading the Agungi Injection Substation from 15MVA to 30MVA and extending lines to the Elemoro Injection Substation.
• Immediate Relief: 16 feeder rehabilitation projects are currently active, and 11 transformers are being upgraded from 300kVA to 500kVA to handle the growing population.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

• “People who ordinarily would run generating sets are now finding it difficult… the power provided by EKEDC remains the best option,” said Mr. Sulyman Bello.
• “Where properties have moved to high-rise developments, developers should factor private transformers into their projects,” noted Mr. Olumide Jerome.
• “We have completed about 38 electricity infrastructure projects from January 2025 till date,” added Mrs. Angela Ukhokhoakhe.

WHAT’S NEXT

• Lekki Substation Commissioning: An additional 15MVA transformer at the Lekki Injection Substation is completed and awaiting official commissioning within the coming weeks.
• Transformer Deployment: EKEDC is set to begin the case-by-case distribution of 100 available transformers to the most critical “black spot” areas identified by LERSA.
• Audit of Illegal Connections: EKEDC will launch a crackdown on buildings illegally connected to public transformers to stabilize the load for legitimate customers.

BOTTOM LINE

The Bottom Line is that the high cost of petrol has turned electricity from a convenience into an economic necessity for Lekki residents. While EKEDC is injecting billions into new feeders and substations, the success of the grid depends on residents reporting illegal connections and developers taking responsibility for their increased energy footprints.

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