….Receives Crazy Bill From Eko DisCo
Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has joined the league of millions of Nigeria crying out over inefficiency in the power sector leading to fleecing of consumers especially by Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).
The Deputy Governor raised alarm over the spike in his electricity bills, revealing that his monthly power charge surged from ₦2.7 million in March to a staggering ₦29 million in April despite attempts to migrate to prepaid metering.
Hamzat made the revelation on Monday during a roundtable meeting between the Lagos State Government and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) held in Victoria Island. The engagement was part of a broader collaboration aimed at boosting electricity access in rural parts of the state through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Speaking on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat described the billing situation by electricity distribution companies (DisCos) as “crazy,” citing both his personal experience and those of ordinary citizens as examples of systemic dysfunction in Nigeria’s power sector.
“Last month, in my house, or the state house that I live in, the bill was ₦2.7 million. This month, Eko DisCo sent us a bill of ₦29 million,” Hamzat said.
“I actually procured a meter to say, ‘Look, don’t give estimated billing’. I bought the meter, but to convert it is wahala.”
Despite investing in a prepaid meter, Hamzat said the process of activation was deliberately obstructed by the DisCo, a practice many Nigerians have long complained about.
To underscore the widespread nature of the problem, Hamzat referenced a case in Coker Aguda, Surulere, where a tenant who pays ₦2 million yearly in rent was issued an electricity bill of ₦2.8 million.
“How can the bill be more than the man’s rent for a year?” he queried. “Our people are suffering because of estimated billing.”
His comments reignite the long-standing frustrations over DisCos’ use of estimated billing — a method often criticised for lacking transparency and accuracy, especially in neighbourhoods without functional prepaid meters.
Amid these challenges, the state government is looking toward more sustainable and decentralized solutions. Hamzat commended Biodun Ogunleye, the state’s Commissioner for Energy, for advancing a partnership with the REA to deliver solar power to underserved communities.
In his remarks, Ogunleye described the MoU with the REA as a step toward energy equity:
“This partnership will unlock opportunities for people who never imagined living in an environment with constant and stable electricity.”
He also noted Lagos’ significance in the national electricity agenda:
“REA has been to a number of other states, but when you are not in Lagos, you’re not yet there.”
The situation in Lagos reflects a broader national crisis in electricity supply. Millions of Nigerians continue to suffer erratic power delivery, unjustified tariffs, and widespread resistance to prepaid meter deployment — a system designed to ensure consumers pay only for what they use.
The deputy governor’s public outcry, though unusual for a senior government official, may put added pressure on regulators like the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the DisCos to urgently address billing anomalies and meter accessibility.
As Lagos moves ahead with its solar-focused strategy, it remains to be seen whether such alternatives can eventually free the state — and Nigeria at large — from the grip of dysfunctional electricity billing systems.