"Petrol is expensive, yet there's no light" — Lekki residents lament as EKEDC blackout stretches close to two weeks

Precious Omolu 16:43 - 09 August 2026

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A faulty transformer stood abandoned in Lekki Phase 1 after a loud explosion threw several homes along Alhaji Hakeem Odumosu Street into a two-week blackout

Residents of Lekki Phase 1 have called out EKEDC after a transformer fault left parts of the estate without electricity for almost two weeks, forcing many to spend heavily on fuel and suffer major losses.

Lekki Phase 1 residents have spent almost two weeks without electricity after a transformer fault.
Residents accused EKEDC of poor communication and delaying repairs despite repeated promises.
Many say they have lost food items and now spend heavily on petrol to power generators.
EKEDC says repair materials have been approved and power could be restored during the week if they arrive on schedule.

Residents of Lekki Phase 1 are fed up after living without electricity for almost two weeks following a transformer fault that threw parts of the upscale Lagos neighbourhood into darkness.

The prolonged blackout has left many households frustrated, with residents accusing the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) of poor communication, negligence and failing to provide a clear timeline for restoring power.

Many say the outage has affected their daily lives, spoiled food stored in refrigerators and forced those who rely on generators to spend much more on petrol at a time when fuel prices remain high.

The affected residents are now appealing to EKEDC to urgently restore electricity to Alhaji Hakeem Odumosu Street and other impacted areas of Lekki Phase 1.

The prolonged blackout forced many residents to rely on generators, increasing their daily spending on petrol.

One of the residents, Mr Taiwo Bolodeoku, described the situation as both shocking and disappointing.

“It has been almost two weeks now since a transformer blew up with a loud bang. The transformer services our home and quite a number of other houses in the area.

“No information has been given, no apology has been sent out, and we wonder what is going on as we continue to wait endlessly.

“EKEDC has just been going back and forth without providing information or a plan on when the transformer will be fixed.”

Another resident, Mrs Margaret Sogbesan, said residents had contacted several officials but nothing had changed despite repeated assurances.

“The system is somehow. We have spoken to everyone that needs to be spoken to; they have given updates and made promises to restore power, but here we are, still without a solution. So, it is really frustrating.”

Affected residents appealed to EKEDC to restore electricity, saying the outage disrupted their daily lives and businesses.

For Mr David Nezaya, who works remotely, the blackout has made life extremely difficult.

“I work from home, and it is so terrible that I have to power my generator for hours. It is very frustrating.

“We appeal to EKEDC to do the needful and restore our electricity to enable us to live comfortably.

“It is bad enough that the price of petrol is high, yet there is no electricity to cushion the effect of having to buy petrol almost daily just to survive.”

EKEDC said repair materials had been approved and assured residents that work to restore power would begin once they were released.

Another resident, Ms Efe Obiomah, said she had no choice but to switch off her refrigerator because of the prolonged outage.

“It is a terrible and uncomfortable situation. We appeal to the electricity managers to restore power.”

Reacting to the complaints, an EKEDC official, Mr Adeyemi Razaq, said efforts were underway to fix the faulty transformer.

According to him, workers had already requested the materials needed for the repairs, and the company's head office had approved the request. However, the materials had not yet been released.

“Hopefully, I am promising next week. The materials may arrive on Monday. Hopefully, by Tuesday, they will come and carry out the job, before Wednesday or Thursday next week.”

Power outages caused by faulty transformers are a recurring issue in many parts of Lagos, with residents often relying on expensive generators while waiting for repairs. For the affected Lekki residents, they hope this latest promise from EKEDC finally brings an end to days of darkness.