A coalition of 130 pan-Yoruba socio-political and professional groups has called on all South West states to establish new electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to replace the existing operators, accusing them of “gross corporate irresponsibility” and “crimes against the people.”
The call comes as the Lagos State Government officially granted new electricity distribution licenses to Excel Distribution Company and IE Energy Lagos Limited, effectively replacing Eko Electricity Distribution PLC and Ikeja Electric PLC.
The move marks a significant shift in the state’s power sector, with the new firms expected to assume operations within the coming months.
In a statement issued after its Executive Council meeting on Monday, the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), which coordinated the coalition, hailed the Lagos initiative as “the most important public interest decision in Lagos since 1999.”
“The decision represents a radical departure from gross corporate irresponsibility to a new frontier in the search for energy stability in Lagos State,” the statement signed by the AYDM Secretary, Popoola Ajayi, and Mobilisation Director, Chief Kunle Oshodi, read.
The AYDM applauded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, for their “bold step in liberating residents from years of oppression by exploitative energy companies.”
The coalition, which includes groups such as the Oodua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), Agbekoya, Yoruba Artisans and Traders Association (YATA), Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA–South West), Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC–New Era), and the South West Women Congress (SWECO), also urged the Lagos and the Nigerian Governments to probe the ownership and operations of the former DISCOs.
AYDM accused the companies of endangering lives through abrupt disconnections, power surges, and negligence, which have led to fatal accidents.
“Many people have died due to the activities of these DISCOs in hospitals, homes, and workplaces. Their actions amount to economic sabotage,” the statement said.
It added that the group plans to document “the atrocities of the DISCOs” in a forthcoming publication and will lobby the international community to impose sanctions on their operators.
Nigeria’s electricity sector has long been plagued by instability.
Despite successive reforms and privatisation efforts since 2013, power generation and supply remain grossly inadequate.
The national grid has collapsed over 150 times in the past decade, often plunging the country into nationwide blackouts.
With a generation capacity hovering between 3,000 and 4,000 megawatts for over 200 million people, Nigeria’s energy deficit has crippled industries, worsened unemployment, and forced millions of households to rely on expensive diesel and petrol generators.
The AYDM likened the current operators to the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), widely criticised for inefficiency before its unbundling.
“The DISCOs are worse than NEPA. They are corrupt, arrogant, and incompetent. They see Lagosians as commodities to be brutally exploited,” AYDM stated.
The AYDM alleged that claims of customer debts by DISCOs were largely “fictitious and fraudulent, designed to extort individuals and businesses.”
The coalition urged other South West governors, in Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states, to replicate Lagos’ initiative, saying the move could rescue the region’s economy from collapse.
“When there is no efficient electricity, businesses, health facilities, and industries suffer while the social and night economy crumbles. Lagos has taken the first step; others must follow,” AYDM said.
The AYDM also encouraged Lagos to explore cleaner energy sources, including converting the state’s large volumes of daily waste into power, to ensure sustainability and energy security.
