Residents of Harmony Estate in Lagos have staged a protest against Ikeja Electric, condemning prolonged blackouts and what they describe as exploitative electricity tariffs.

In a protest letter signed by community representative, Deacon Vitalis Anyiam, and addressed to the CEO of Ikeja Electric, the residents criticised the company for failing to provide the promised 20 hours of daily electricity, despite a tariff hike from N68 to N225 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) introduced in September 2024.

“We experienced loss of revenue; many people had to throw away perishable products due to storage problems,” the letter read. “Residents spent significantly on alternative power sources, pushing businesses into further losses.”

The blackout, which lasted from April 28 to May 3, left the estate in darkness for five days, with erratic power supply continuing on May 4. The affected feeder line — 11-AdaranijoINJ-T1 Arigbanla — serves Harmony, Mercury, Genesis, and Peace Estates.

Residents demanded a reversal of the tariff hike, free electricity tokens as compensation, and a formal apology from Ikeja Electric. They also criticised the “forced migration” of their community from Band B to Band A without consultation, arguing that it only brought higher tariffs without improved service.

“We have always opposed the forceful migration from Band B to Band A,” the statement added, recalling a protest at Ikeja Electric’s Alausa office on September 25, 2024.

The residents further accused the power company of failing to reinvest revenue in infrastructure and called for a “publicly funded and democratically controlled electricity sector focused on stable and affordable power for all Nigerians.”