JUST IN: UNILAG Thrown Into Darkness As EKO DisCo Disconnects Power

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has disconnected the University of Lagos (UNILAG) from the power supply due to unpaid electricity bills, as revealed in a statement by the university management on Wednesday.

UNILAG has been struggling with rising electricity costs, a situation exacerbated by EKEDC’s decision to upgrade the university’s tariff from “Band B” to “Band A,” leading to a significant increase in monthly bills. Before the upgrade, the university’s monthly payments ranged between N150 million and N180 million. However, the June bill under the new tariff nearly doubled to almost N300 million, a 100% increase that has placed a heavy financial strain on the institution.

The university management expressed regret over the ongoing blackout, which began on Tuesday. Despite recent negotiations with EKEDC and a payment of N180 million on August 20, UNILAG was abruptly disconnected from the power supply on August 27, without prior notice. “Just two weeks after our meeting, we were hit with a staggering bill of nearly half a billion naira (N472 million) for July, further increasing our debt burden! We kept our promise and paid N180 million on August 20, yet on August 27, EKEDC disconnected us without notice and has refused to reconnect the university to the national grid,” the statement read.

The university management assured the campus community that efforts were underway to resolve the issue with EKEDC. In the meantime, power supply across the campus will be rationed until further notice.