Ondo Residents Complain as Power Supply Gets Worse

(Ondo Map. Photo Credit: The Nation News)

People living in Ondo State are tired of the constant power outrages and are begging the government and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to fix the light.

A resident in Akure told a reporter that regular power outages are ruining local businesses and making everyday life miserable for families, especially now that the dry season is making the weather incredibly hot.

Some areas go for long stretches without light, while others get only a few hours a day.

Barbers, tailors, cold room owners, restaurants and small shop owners say they are struggling.

Many households now rely on petrol generators, which cost more to run as fuel prices climb.

Residents say they are still paying their bills even though the supply has not improved.

One resident, Ayomide Ibrahim, said he gets about three hours of power a day at most.

He said the heat makes it hard to sleep, and even when power comes back, it does not last.

Funmilayo Ibikunle, a trader, said frozen food and drinks are at risk when the power goes out.

She said many traders now spend much of their earnings on fuel instead of growing their businesses.

She also asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to keep an eye on the distribution companies.

A BEDC official in Akure, Ayoade Akereja, blamed the problem on a shortage of gas supplied to power plants.

He said this has reduced the amount of electricity that can be sent out to consumers, and that the whole electricity sector needs to work together to fix it.