Residents of Otumara and surrounding communities in Lagos Mainland have protested what they described as an unauthorised electricity tariff increase accompanied by persistent power outages.
The residents accused the Eko Electricity Distribution Company of charging them at the Band A rate despite their claim that the Ebute Meta West district remained officially classified under Band B.
They called on the electricity distributor and regulatory authorities to investigate the disputed billing and restore what they considered the correct tariff.
Community Leader Challenges New Tariff
Traditional ruler of the Otumara community, Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, presented the residents’ complaints during an interaction with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
Kalejaiye alleged that customers were transferred from Band B to Band A without advance notice, consultation or a clear explanation from the distribution company.
He said the disputed change had placed an additional burden on households already facing higher food, transportation and other living expenses.
The allegation has not been independently confirmed, and the supplied report did not include a response from EKEDC.
Residents Cite ₦209.50 Band A Rate
According to Kalejaiye, customers in Ebute Meta West should be paying ₦64.74 per kilowatt-hour under their claimed Band B classification.
He alleged that residents were instead being charged ₦209.50 per kilowatt-hour, which he identified as the applicable Band A rate.
Public tariff information reviewed for 2026 lists ₦209.50 per kilowatt-hour as the Band A rate for customers served by Eko’s distribution network.
However, the specific classification and ₦64.74 tariff cited for the affected Ebute Meta cluster could not be independently confirmed from the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s publicly accessible energy-cap page when checked.
Energy Cap Document Cited
Kalejaiye said the community relied on the Lagos regulator’s July 2026 energy-cap document, which he claimed listed the Ebute Meta EB1 district under Band B.
LASERC maintains an online platform for publishing energy caps, although the relevant figures were not loading on the page at the time of verification.
The Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission regulates the state’s intrastate electricity market following the decentralisation introduced under the Electricity Act 2023 and the Lagos State Electricity Law 2024.
Residents asked the regulator to determine whether their service band had been validly changed and whether the disputed tariff complied with the applicable order.
Poor Supply Fuels Residents’ Anger
The community leader said the higher bills had not resulted in a corresponding improvement in electricity supply.
He alleged that residents around Apapa Road had experienced prolonged outages, with supply sometimes restored only briefly before being interrupted again.
Under Nigeria’s service-based tariff structure, Band A customers are expected to receive at least 20 hours of electricity daily, while Band B customers should receive a minimum of 16 hours.
Kalejaiye argued that customers should not be charged a premium tariff when the promised level of supply was not being delivered.
Residents Demand Reversal
The traditional ruler called on the distributor to return affected customers to their approved service band unless a valid reclassification had been carried out.
He also demanded that future changes be communicated clearly to consumers before implementation.
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission guidance states that distribution companies should notify customers about tariff reviews through bills or other communication channels.
Kalejaiye warned that unexplained billing changes could further weaken public confidence in electricity distributors and regulatory institutions.
Ibarapa Area Reports Three-Day Outage
A resident of the Ibarapa area along Apapa Road, Shebi Lawal, also criticised the quality of electricity service in the community.
Lawal alleged that some parts of the area had remained without power for almost three days and that residents had received no satisfactory explanation.
He said consumers were struggling with several problems, including unstable supply, disputed band classifications and bills they considered excessive.
Lawal questioned how customers could consume the volume of electricity reflected in their bills when power supply remained inconsistent.
Service Bands Must Reflect Supply
Nigeria’s service-based tariff system is intended to connect the amount customers pay to the average number of electricity-supply hours delivered to their feeder.
NERC says that where a distribution company consistently fails to provide the minimum hours associated with a service band, the performance of the affected cluster may be reviewed over 60 days.
Following verification, the tariff may be adjusted to reflect the actual quality of electricity supplied.
Consumers can also confirm their tariff classification through their electricity bills, vending receipts or the regulator’s customer-information services.
Community Seeks Regulatory Intervention
The residents asked LASERC and other relevant authorities to review the service history, billing records and feeder classification for Otumara, Ebute Meta and nearby communities.
They said any confirmed overbilling should be corrected and affected consumers appropriately credited.
The community also urged the electricity distributor to provide a clear explanation for the outages and publish accurate information about the tariff applicable to each feeder.
Until the regulator or distribution company responds, the claims concerning unauthorised migration and excessive billing remain allegations made by the residents.
