Ajegunle People Protest against Exploitation by Electricity Company
In August 2024, the residents of Ajegunle, a densely populated area in Lagos State, took to the streets in a show of mass rejection of electricity exploitation. They rallied against the ongoing double billing, extortion, and discriminatory electricity policies imposed by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKODISCO) and sanctioned by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The protests, spearheaded by grassroots organizations and socialist activists, reflect the deep-seated frustration of the Nigerian masses against the exploitative practices of privatized utility firms.
By Moshood Oshunfunrewa, Coordinator, Ajegunle People’s Movement
Since the privatization of the electricity sector in 2013, the promise of efficient power supply and enhanced investment has turned into a nightmare of outrageous billing, prolonged blackouts, and infrastructure neglect. The recent double-billing in Ajegunle is a glaring example of the characteristic exploitation by electricity companies. Residents, many of whom are low-income earners, were suddenly presented with two separate bills instead of the usual single bill — a move that reeks of extortion.
The Ajegunle People’s Movement (APM), a campaigning community organisation of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), is centrally involved in the struggle of the community people to challenge this injustice. At a public meeting between the Layinka and Arumoh communities and EKODISCO’s billing head, Mr. Olatian, no satisfactory explanation was given for this sudden increase. The company’s response only confirmed the suspicion of the residents: the double billing practice lacks any legal basis and is a deliberate attempt to plunge already struggling households deeper into a huge debt. As a result, the affected houses would not be qualified for prepaid meters and therefore the EKODISCO continues to exploit them with fraudulent, manipulated billing figures.
The situation in Ajegunle is an example of monumental fraud and exploitation regularly perpetuated by private electricity companies in quest for super profit. This also explains why they hardly invest in critical infrastructure such as transformers, cables, and poles. Instead, the burden of acquiring those facilities is usually shifted onto the residents, who are often forced to purchase these essential components themselves in order to avoid being left in darkness.
We of the APM work to ensure the struggle in communities against every form of exploitation by DISCO’s and for affordable and regular electricity is sustained. However, we argue that it must also be linked with the demand for the electricity sector to be renationalized and managed democratically by workers and consumer representatives. This would ensure that decisions are made in the interest of the people rather than a handful of greedy and profit-hungry private investors. Democratic management would ensure investment in the power sector’s infrastructure, guarantee fair pricing, and eliminate exploitative practices like double billing and estimated billing.