Residents of Victoria Garden City (VGC), one of Lagos’s upscale residential estates, demand urgent action from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over persistent power outages that have plagued the community for months.
Despite being classified as Band A customers, a tier promised a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily. VGC has endured an erratic supply, with outages sometimes lasting over 18 hours in a single day.
The VGC Property Owners and Residents Association (VGCPORA) has lodged a formal complaint with NERC, accompanied by a 10-page outage report documenting over 500 hours of power cuts between January and May 2025.
The report reveals that the estate’s electricity supply fell below NERC’s mandated 90 per cent threshold for Band A customers in four of the five months reviewed, with April hitting a dismal 76 per cent reliability rate.
Financial strain and diesel dependence
The unreliable grid power has forced residents and the estate’s management to rely heavily on diesel generators, sparking a financial crisis. Monthly electricity costs for common areas have skyrocketed from N3.6 million to N14.8 million, while residents grapple with soaring personal expenses.
“In addition, we are compelled to spend significantly on diesel-powered generators to sustain basic services, placing further financial strain on both the Association and residents.,” said Lola Bolarinwa, chairman of VGCPORA.
The outage report pinpoints recurring faults at the Ikate Express 33kV line, which tripped 87 times in five months,alongside ageingg infrastructure like exploding Ring Main Units (RMUs) and faulty transformers.
On January 2, a substation explosion plunged the estate into an 18-hour blackout, while an RMU explosion on April 19 cut power for 10 hours.
NERC’s Band A promise under scrutiny
NERC’s 2023 Order No: NERC/2023/003 guarantees Band A customers—typically affluent estates and industries—near-uninterrupted supply. However, VGC’s data shows the estate averaged just 16 hours daily in April, far below the 20-hour benchmark.
“We also wish to draw your attention to the lack of preventive maintenance of critical infrastructure within the estate, including Ring Main Units (RMUs) and transformers, which continues to contribute to frequent localized faults and voltage fluctuations,” Bolarinwa said.
Outages frequently stem from preventable issues like overloaded feeders, poor maintenance, and delayed repairs. On March 17, a cable fault left parts of the estate without power for nearly 20 hours, while a faulty DC battery on March 18 caused additional disruptions.
Residents’ Demands and NERC’s Response
VGCPORA’s letter to NERC calls for the Immediate restoration of reliable power or downgrading VGC’s feeder classification to match the actual supply; proactive infrastructure upgrades, including replacing ageing RMUs and transformers and a comprehensive audit of EKEDC’s distribution network to address chronic faults.
Broader Implications for Nigeria’s Power Sector
VGC’s plight mirrors nationwide frustrations with Nigeria’s electricity crisis. Despite privatisation efforts, distribution companies (DisCos) face criticism for poor service and opaque billing. Experts say Band A’s failures undermine confidence in NERC’s tiered tariff system. “If high-paying customers can’t get reliable power, what hope do others have?” asked energy analyst Emeka Okoro.
