Lagos Deputy Governor Raises Alarm Over N29m Electricity Bill, Slams ‘Crazy Billing’
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has expressed frustration over a massive spike in his electricity bill, which jumped from ₦2.7 million in March to ₦29 million in April.
Speaking on Monday during a roundtable in Victoria Island between the Lagos State Government and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Hamzat said the power distribution company (DisCo) responsible for supplying electricity to his official residence also made it difficult for him to get a prepaid meter, despite having paid for one.
Hamzat, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the event, described the situation as an example of the broader electricity billing crisis affecting Nigerians.
“Power is essential for survival, yet people are struggling with it. The issue of billing is a real problem. I’m a personal example. In the state house where I reside, the bill last month was ₦2.7 million. This month, Eko DisCo sent a ₦29 million bill. I had to send it to the Commissioner for Energy. It’s insane,” he said.
He further explained that despite buying a prepaid meter to avoid estimated billing, converting it for use has been an uphill task.
Hamzat also recounted the case of a resident in the Coker Aguda area of Surulere, who received a ₦2.8 million electricity bill even though his annual rent is just ₦2 million.
“How can someone’s electricity bill be more than their yearly rent? These are the real challenges our people face. They’re suffering under estimated billing,” he said.
The deputy governor commended Lagos State Commissioner for Energy, Biodun Ogunleye, for leading the partnership with the REA to bring solar power to underserved rural communities in the state.
Ogunleye emphasized that the agreement with the REA marks a new chapter for rural electrification in Lagos.
“This partnership will open doors for people who never imagined they’d experience reliable electricity in their lifetime,” he said. “The REA has done work in other states, but being in Lagos is key.”
REA Managing Director, Abba Aliyu, said several communities in Lagos have been identified for electrification, adding that the agency plans to build an 8-megawatt floating solar power plant at the University of Lagos—pending state government approval.
