Ogun State residents and students have expressed frustration over a continuous power blackout that has plagued the state since 2024, with no clear explanation from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
From Abeokuta to Ijebu-Ode, residents across Ogun State have been enduring months of darkness, hoping for a change in 2025. However, the first quarter of this year has seen no improvement in power supply, with blackouts persisting.
Sulaimon Babs, a resident of Abeokuta, shared his disappointment: “The last time we can say we enjoyed relative power supply was in 2023. From the beginning of 2024 to the second quarter, there was no stable electricity. Sometimes they would supply it for a few minutes, and we would not see it again for another five days. That was how we suffered in darkness throughout last year.”
Students, particularly at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta, have been struggling with inadequate electricity to meet their academic needs. One student, Keji, revealed the dire situation: “We now pay N600 daily to rent power banks because we want to charge phones, yet the IBEDC will still bring bills monthly. Sometimes they give us light for five hours in one week. This does not make sense. Students are suffering.”
Despite government assurances of improved power supply, including plans to take over the nine-megawatt hydropower plant, residents remain hopeful yet skeptical about any changes in the near future.
While the Ibadan DisCo has remained silent on the issue, an official attributed the power shortage to a “low allocation.” Meanwhile, residents continue to wait for tangible action.