MONTHS WITHOUT RELIABLE ELECTRICITY PUSH OGUN RESIDENTS TO GENERATORS, SOLAR POWER

Residents and business owners in Arigbawo Community, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, are facing growing hardship as prolonged and irregular electricity supply continues to disrupt daily life and commercial activities in the area.

The residents, who spoke about the situation recently, said electricity had become so unreliable that the community sometimes went for several weeks or even months without power. According to them, supply could occasionally return for only a short period before another prolonged outage, leaving households and businesses to depend heavily on generators and solar energy.

Some residents said the poor electricity supply was particularly frustrating because reliable power had previously been one of the major attractions that encouraged people to move into the community. They explained that the deterioration in supply had become so severe that some residents were now considering relocating to other areas where electricity is more dependable.

One resident, Mrs Oyegoke, said the community had repeatedly raised the matter through its Community Development Association but had yet to receive a lasting solution. She lamented that whenever electricity was restored, it could disappear again within a short period, making it difficult for residents to plan their daily activities.

Another resident, who identified herself as Titi, said the situation had become unbearable for some residents who had moved into the community partly because of the electricity supply available at the time. She said some people had already started leaving for locations with more consistent power, while homeowners who could not easily relocate remained behind.

The prolonged outages have also taken a toll on businesses, particularly those that depend on electricity to preserve goods. A businesswoman in the community, who requested anonymity, said her freezer had been badly affected by the unreliable supply, making it increasingly difficult to maintain her business. She said electricity could sometimes be unavailable for extended periods before briefly returning.

Another business owner, Mrs Okorie, said she had invested in solar power to keep her business operational. She explained that cold drinks and other products needed to be properly chilled before customers would buy them, forcing her to rely on two solar systems to power her refrigerator whenever public electricity was unavailable.

Okorie said residents had previously complained about the situation and experienced temporary improvements, but the supply later deteriorated again. She expressed frustration that the community could experience extremely long periods without electricity despite repeated appeals for intervention.

For Ibukun, a hairstylist in the area, the unreliable electricity supply has effectively ended her dependence on public power. She said she now relies mainly on a generator to carry out her work and recalled that the community once enjoyed much more consistent electricity. According to her, the deteriorating situation has made her regret choosing the area as a place of residence.

The electricity crisis has also increased household expenses, as residents who would ordinarily depend on public power now have to spend additional money on fuel, generators, solar systems and other alternatives. For businesses, the extra costs have added to the difficulty of operating profitably at a time when many are already dealing with higher operating expenses.

The residents said their situation was particularly concerning because electricity affects several aspects of community life beyond business operations. They noted that households depend on power for refrigeration, lighting, charging electronic devices and other essential activities, while businesses require it to operate equipment and preserve goods.

When contacted, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company attributed the poor electricity supply affecting parts of Ogun State, including Abeokuta and its surrounding areas, to load restrictions and ongoing maintenance work.

IBEDC's Coordinating Head of Corporate Services, Angela Olanrewaju, said the company was working with the limited electricity allocation available to it and attempting to distribute the available supply as fairly as possible among affected communities.

She explained that IBEDC had been engaging relevant partners over the constraints affecting electricity supply and had been informed that work was ongoing to address the problem associated with the maintenance activities. The company also apologised to affected customers for the inconvenience and appealed for their patience and understanding.

Despite the explanation from the distribution company, residents of Arigbawo are calling for a lasting solution rather than temporary restoration of electricity. They said the recurring outages were placing additional financial pressure on households and businesses and could make the community less attractive to residents and investors if the situation persisted.

The residents therefore urged the relevant authorities and electricity-sector stakeholders to urgently address the factors responsible for the prolonged outages and restore a stable electricity supply to the community.