Frustration over persistent blackouts boiled over in Lagos on Thursday as residents took to the streets to protest the “epileptic” electricity supply across the state.
A viral video circulating on social media on Thursday showed a group of protesters, primarily young Nigerians, marching through the Fadeyi area of Lagos.
The demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting, expressed their frustration over what they described as a collapse of the power sector that is “killing” local businesses.
Some of the placards bore inscriptions such as “No more estimated billing,” “No more epileptic power supply,” “No light, no life, no nation,” and “You’re destroying, killing so many businesses; give us regular light.”
“We are not asking for too much,” one protester was heard shouting in the footage. “Make them give us light!”
The Lagos protest follows a series of coordinated outcries across Nigeria.
In Osun State, the Nigerian Youth Congress (Boripe Local Government Chapter), on Sunday, decried the “persistent lack of stable electricity,” describing the situation as economically damaging and unacceptable.
Similarly, on Tuesday, business owners in the Effurun and Uvwie areas of Delta State reportedly staged a peaceful demonstration against exorbitant bills and the “epileptic” nature of the supply.
The protests come amid a warning from industry leaders that the situation may worsen.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Dr Joy Ogaji, warned that Nigeria’s electricity crisis may worsen in the coming weeks as gas suppliers halt supply to thermal power plants over an estimated ₦3.3 trillion debt owed by power generation companies.
The PUNCH