KEY POINTS
- Lagos Deputy Governor exposes Eko DisCo’s questionable billing after his official residence electricity bill skyrocketed from N2.7m to N29m in one month
- Revelation comes as Lagos partners with Rural Electrification Agency on solar projects for underserved communities, including an 8MW floating plant at UNILAG
- Incident highlights Nigeria’s ongoing power sector challenges, with estimated billing remaining a major consumer complaint nationwide
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has publicly called out electricity distribution companies for their exploitative billing practices after receiving a shocking N29 million bill for his official residence in April – a tenfold increase from the previous month’s N2.7 million charge.
The revelation came during a rural electrification event in Victoria Island where Hamzat shared his personal struggles with Eko DisCo’s billing system.
“I’m a very good example of these billing challenges,” Hamzat told attendees. “Last month in my official residence, the bill was N2.7 million. This month, Eko DisCo sent a bill of N29 million. It’s crazy.” The deputy governor further revealed his failed attempts to switch to prepaid metering despite having paid for the installation, accusing the utility company of deliberately frustrating the process.
Residents face similar exploitation
The deputy governor’s experience mirrors that of ordinary Lagosians struggling with outrageous estimated bills. He cited the case of a Coker Aguda resident whose N2.8 million electricity bill exceeded his annual rent of N2 million. “How can the electricity bill be more than someone’s rent? These are the real struggles of our people,” Hamzat lamented, highlighting the widespread nature of the billing crisis.
While condemning DisCos’ practices, Hamzat praised the new Memorandum of Understanding between Lagos State and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) that will bring solar power to underserved communities.
AAN TV reports that REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu announced plans for an 8-megawatt floating solar plant at the University of Lagos as part of the initiative.
Energy Commissioner Biodun Ogunleye called the partnership “a game-changer for communities that have never experienced consistent power supply,” contrasting the reliability of solar solutions with the failures of the grid system. The state government plans to expand the solar project to other off-grid areas as an alternative to the problematic DisCo network.
The deputy governor’s revelations have reignited calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s electricity sector, particularly regarding:
- Mandatory metering timelines
- Transparent billing systems
- Stronger consumer protection measures
Energy experts suggest the N29 million bill incident demonstrates systemic flaws in the DisCos’ revenue collection model that prioritizes profit over service delivery. The Lagos State government has pledged to escalate the matter with federal regulators while accelerating its renewable energy programs to reduce dependence on DisCos.
