UNILAG Plunged into Darkness as Eko DisCo Cuts Power Over N300 Million Debt

UNILAG has been plunged into darkness after Eko DisCo disconnected its power supply due to unpaid electricity bills totaling over N300 million, despite ongoing negotiations and partial payments.

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has cut off the power supply to the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, due to outstanding electricity bills.

The university management disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, explaining that the institution has been struggling with rising electricity costs.

The situation worsened when EKEDC reclassified the university’s tariff from “Band B” to “Band A,” leading to a significant increase in monthly electricity bills.

Before the change, UNILAG’s monthly payments ranged between N150 million and N180 million. However, the June bill under the new “Band A” tariff nearly doubled to almost N300 million—a 100% increase that the university is finding difficult to manage.

The university management expressed regret over the power outage, which has affected the campus since Tuesday.

Despite ongoing negotiations with EKEDC and a recent payment of N180 million on August 20, the university was unexpectedly disconnected from the power supply on August 27, with no prior notice.

“Just two weeks after our meeting, we received a shocking bill of nearly half a billion naira (N472 million) for July, further worsening our debt situation. Although we made a payment of N180 million on August 20, EKEDC disconnected our power on August 27 without any notice and has refused to reconnect us to the national grid,” the statement said.

The university management assured the community that efforts are being made to resolve the issue with EKEDC. They urged for calm and announced that power supply across the campus would be rationed until further notice.

READ ALSO: UNILAG Thrown Into Darkness Over ₦200 Million Electricity Debt

SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, PUNCH