Lagos Youths Protest Power Outages as Nigeria’s Electricity Crisis Deepens

Youths in Lagos on Thursday, March 12, staged protests over persistent power outages, blaming the worsening electricity crisis in Nigeria on gas supply constraints affecting power generation.

The demonstrators, largely made up of young residents and small business owners, gathered in parts of the city early in the morning to express frustration over prolonged blackouts that they say are disrupting daily life and damaging economic activities.

Chanting slogans and carrying placards, the protesters accused the government of failing to address the country’s long-standing power supply challenges. Some of the placards read, “We Need Light,” “Power Our Homes,” and “Electricity Is Not a Luxury.”

Residents say the erratic electricity supply in Lagos has worsened in recent weeks, forcing households and businesses to rely heavily on fuel-powered generators, which has further increased the cost of living amid rising fuel prices.

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Nigeria’s electricity sector has struggled for years with multiple challenges, including gas supply disruptions to power plants, aging infrastructure, weak transmission networks, and insufficient investment in the sector.

During the campaign leading to the 2023 presidential election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to tackle Nigeria’s chronic power shortages by boosting electricity generation and improving the distribution network. However, critics argue that progress has been slow, and the recent blackouts have renewed scrutiny of the administration’s energy policies.

Protesters said reliable electricity supply is essential for economic growth, small businesses, and everyday life. They urged the federal government and stakeholders in the power sector to urgently resolve the gas supply bottlenecks affecting electricity generation across the country.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the protest. However, energy experts maintain that addressing gas supply constraints, improving infrastructure, and increasing investment will be critical to stabilising Nigeria’s electricity supply.

The protest reflects growing public frustration in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, where millions of residents continue to grapple with unreliable electricity despite repeated government promises of reform in the power sector.

Lagos Youths Protest Power Outages as Nigeria’s Electricity Crisis Deepens

ADC Urges FG to Cap Petrol Prices as Global Oil Market Volatility Bites

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government to introduce a temporary and time-bound cap on petrol prices to prevent further increases that could worsen the cost-of-living crisis in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the recent hikes in petrol prices in Nigeria reflect rising volatility in the global oil market, largely driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

“The African Democratic Congress calls on the Federal Government to immediately introduce a temporary and time-bound cap on petrol prices to prevent further increases that continue to push the cost of living beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians,” Abdullahi said.

He noted that the ongoing Middle East crisis has triggered instability in global energy markets, which is now affecting domestic fuel prices and worsening economic hardship for Nigerians.

According to the opposition party, external shocks should not be used to justify allowing fuel prices to rise unchecked, particularly in what it described as a fragile economy still grappling with the consequences of subsidy removal.

ADC said the current situation has deepened the economic pressure on households following the fuel subsidy removal announced by Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

Nigeria eventually exited under-recovery payments when the government fully deregulated the downstream petroleum sector in October 2024, allowing market forces to determine petrol pricing.

The party argued that the government must take urgent steps to protect citizens from further shocks, warning that rising fuel costs are already affecting transportation, food prices and the overall cost of doing business.

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The call comes as the Middle East conflict continues to create unprecedented volatility in global energy markets. International crude oil prices briefly crossed $100 per barrel on Monday, the highest level since July 2022, before easing to around $87 per barrel on Tuesday.

Iran has also warned that global oil prices could surge further, even threatening that crude prices may climb toward $200 per barrel if tensions escalate and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes — is disrupted.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments pass daily, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

In Nigeria, the surge in crude oil prices has pushed up ex-gantry petrol prices and retail pump prices across filling stations nationwide.

Transport operators have already begun increasing fares on major routes in cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Kano, with commuters reporting that fares have doubled on some routes.

Meanwhile, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Tuesday announced a reduction in its ex-gantry petrol price to ₦1,075 per litre after implementing three previous increases amid global market pressures.

Despite the reduction at the refinery level, pump prices at retail filling stations remain elevated, reflecting the broader impact of global oil market fluctuations and distribution costs.

ADC warned that unless urgent intervention measures are introduced, rising petrol prices and transport costs could accelerate inflation and worsen the economic burden on millions of Nigerians already facing high food and energy costs.

The party urged the Federal Government to adopt immediate measures to stabilise the domestic fuel market while also pursuing long-term reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s energy security and refining capacity.

ADC Urges FG to Cap Petrol Prices as Global Oil Market Volatility Bites

Ikeja Electric Apologises to Customers Over Power Disruptions

Lagos, Nigeria — Nigeria’s leading electricity distribution company, Ikeja Electric, has apologised to customers within its network over the persistent power supply disruptions currently affecting many communities.

In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the company attributed the outages to gas supply constraints impacting electricity generation across the national power grid.

The notice explained that the gas shortage has resulted in a significant energy deficit on the grid, forcing distribution companies to implement increased load shedding across their feeders.

“We sincerely apologize for the ongoing power supply disruptions you are experiencing,” the company said in the statement addressed to customers.

According to the distribution company, the situation is beyond its immediate control as it stems from challenges affecting power generation nationwide. The firm added that it remains in continuous communication with relevant stakeholders in the power sector to resolve the issue and restore normal electricity generation levels.

The company assured customers that efforts are ongoing to stabilize the grid and improve supply as soon as the gas supply situation improves.

Ikeja Electric also appealed for patience and understanding from customers during what it described as a challenging period for the nation’s electricity supply chain.

“We truly appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging period,” the management stated in the notice dated March 11, 2026.

Electricity consumers in Lagos and other areas served by Ikeja Electric have in recent days complained about prolonged blackouts and erratic supply, raising concerns about the stability of power distribution in the region.

Nigeria’s electricity sector has frequently faced generation challenges linked to gas shortages, infrastructure limitations, and grid instability, which often lead to widespread load shedding by distribution companies.

The latest development is expected to further intensify concerns among households and businesses already struggling with high energy costs and unreliable power supply.

Ikeja Electric Apologises to Customers Over Power Disruptions