Residents across parts of southern Lagos and Ogun State have been left in the dark as a power supply dispute unfolds between two major players in Nigeria’s electricity sector.

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) reported a significant drop in its power allocation from 486 MW to 347 MW — a reduction of nearly 140 megawatts. The distribution company attributed the shortfall to constraints on the national grid and low generation capacity nationwide.

“As a result of this reduction, we have been forced to adjust supply schedules to certain feeders,” EKEDC said in its announcement, confirming that the cut has affected electricity delivery across parts of Lagos and Ogun.

TCN Pushes Back

But the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has firmly denied EKEDC’s version of events. According to TCN, the outage had nothing to do with its transformers. Instead, the transmission operator pointed the finger squarely at two specific EKEDC feeders — Oniru and Agungi.

TCN explained that a simultaneous tripping event, triggered by overcurrent and an earth fault, occurred on those feeders. However, their maintenance team was reportedly able to restore service on the same day.

The transmission company went further, suggesting that additional issues arose during EKEDC’s own attempts to restore the Oniru feeder.

Familiar Territory for Power Consumers

For Nigerians, this public exchange of blame is painfully familiar. When the lights go out, consumers are often caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between distribution companies and the transmission operator — each side insisting the problem lies with the other.

What remains unclear amid the finger-pointing is a clear timeline for when supply will return to normal levels for affected residents in Lagos and Ogun.