Residents of Love Estate, Ikorodu-Elepe Lament Five-Month Power Outage
Residents of Love Estate in the Ikorodu-Elepe area of Lagos State have decried the persistent power outage that has left the community in total darkness for over five months, severely affecting daily life and crippling local businesses.
The blackout, which reportedly began in December 2024, has shown no signs of improvement, despite repeated complaints to the electricity distribution company servicing the area.
Speaking with reporters on Sunday, affected residents expressed deep frustration over the lack of electricity and its impact on economic activities in the estate.
“Our businesses are suffering. I run a barbing salon, and I’ve had to depend on a generator that costs more to run than I make in a day,” lamented Mr. Tunde Aluko, a resident and small business owner. “We’ve written letters, called customer service, and even reached out to community leaders. Nothing has changed.”
The power outage has taken a toll on small and medium enterprises that rely heavily on electricity to operate, such as phone charging stations, frozen food vendors, welders, and computer centers. Many have either reduced operations or shut down entirely due to the high cost of fueling generators.
Mrs. Ronke Akinwale, another resident, said the blackout has also raised safety concerns: “At night, the estate is completely dark. It’s scary and makes us more vulnerable to theft and attacks. We no longer feel safe.”
Community leaders say they have made formal complaints to the electricity provider and also reached out to the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, but no concrete action has been taken.
In light of the situation, the residents are calling on the Lagos State Government and the electricity distribution company to urgently intervene and restore power to the area.
“This is no longer just about comfort; it’s about our livelihoods and security,” said Mr. Aluko. “We deserve better.”
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the electricity company serving the Ikorodu-Elepe axis.
