UNILAG Plunged Into Darkness As Eko DisCo Cuts Power Over ₦300 Million Debt

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been plunged into darkness after the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) disconnected the institution’s power supply due to unpaid electricity bills.

This development was confirmed in a statement released by the university’s management on Wednesday, highlighting the growing financial strain caused by escalating electricity costs.

UNILAG has been struggling to cope with rising energy expenses, a situation exacerbated when EKEDC recently upgraded the university’s tariff classification from “Band B” to “Band A.” This upgrade led to a significant increase in monthly electricity bills.

Prior to the tariff change, the university was paying between ₦150 million and ₦180 million per month.

However, under the new “Band A” category, the June bill nearly doubled, soaring to almost ₦300 million—a 100% increase that has left the university financially strained.

The university management expressed deep regret over the ongoing blackout that has affected the campus since Tuesday.

They explained that despite ongoing negotiations with EKEDC and a recent payment of ₦180 million made on August 20, the institution was abruptly disconnected from the power supply on August 27, without any prior notice.

“Just two weeks after our meeting, we were hit with a staggering bill of nearly half a billion naira (₦472 million) for July, further increasing our debt burden! We kept our promise and paid ₦180 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 community that they are actively working to resolve the issue with EKEDC. In the meantime, they urged calm and announced that power supply across the campus would be rationed until further notice.