Oyo Communities Struggle with 10-Year Power Outage

Residents of Igboora in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area and Ayete, Tapa, and Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State have complained about long-lasting power cuts. They say their communities have not had regular electricity for nearly 10 years.

The residents spoke to PUNCH Metro on Thursday. They said the long blackout has badly affected businesses, schools, healthcare, security, and overall development in their areas.

Olaoye Emmanuel Olatayo, a civil servant from Igboora, said the electricity supply has been unreliable for as long as he can remember. He mentioned that Igboora has been in darkness for about a decade.

Olaoye explained that the situation has forced some residents, whose businesses depend on electricity, to move away. He said, “Many of our people who are supposed to have one business or the other have to travel away from home because of electricity. It has really impacted many businesses negatively.”

He added that community leaders have tried to solve the problem. They even sent a team to meet the then Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who promised to help. “Unfortunately, nothing changed till today,” he stated.

Olaoye pointed to vandalism and theft of electricity cables as part of the problem. He said, “Many poles were erected in the bush instead of being on the roadside, where passers-by can easily monitor them. It’s also not easy for the security team to mount surveillance on these poles and cables.”

Another resident, Prince Tayo Akinyemi, said the long blackout has led to the decline of electricity infrastructure in Igboora. He noted that vandalism has made it harder to restore power. According to him, residents have pooled money and spent millions of naira to repair and replace damaged cables and equipment. But these efforts have not solved the problem.

Akinyemi said, “For six to 10 years, our students have read with torchlights and candles. For six to 10 years, our hospitals have struggled to save lives without power. For six to 10 years, the economy of Igboora and the entire Ibarapa region has been greatly affected. Businesses have closed, artisans have relocated, and investors have refused to come.”

He also said that a shortage of technical staff has made fixing faults slow. He claimed that only one technician is currently available for the whole Ibarapa region. Akinyemi said the residents have repeatedly asked the government and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company for help, but there has been little change.

In Tapa, Oke Wasiu, the Chief Executive Officer of Pattern Water Solution, said residents have also faced over a decade of poor electricity supply. Wasiu mentioned that the community has not had steady electricity for years. He said residents who can afford it have turned to solar power instead.

He stated, “It’s been over 10 years that the community has been in darkness. It’s not an overstatement that the community has not enjoyed electricity for five hours for the past 15 years.”

Wasiu said the lack of electricity has stalled development in their community and forced residents to find their own solutions. “There’s no sign of development, and the residents have no option but to resort to self-help,” he added.

Aliu Kewulere Mukaram, the President of the Ayete Progressive Union, said the long blackout has hurt Ayete, Tapa, Igangan, and nearby communities. Mukaram noted that residents have tried to restore electricity by raising funds for repairs, visiting IBEDC offices, and protecting electricity infrastructure from vandalism.

He explained that the blackout has negatively affected businesses, schools, and safety in the communities. The union president also mentioned the bad state of roads that connect the areas, saying heavy-duty trucks carrying materials from quarries have made them worse.

Residents are now calling on the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government, and IBEDC to step in quickly and restore regular electricity supply. They also want the authorities to tackle the vandalism of electricity infrastructure and find a lasting solution to the power outage.

Angela Olanrewaju, the IBEDC Coordinating Head of Corporate Services, said the poor electricity supply is due to infrastructure problems affecting the area. Olanrewaju mentioned that the company has started work to fix the affected network and manage vegetation to improve reliability.

She said, “IBEDC has begun rehabilitation and restoration work on the affected network, along with vegetation management, to improve network reliability.” Olanrewaju added that the Federal Government is also working on the Eruwa, Igboora network.

“These interventions are expected to strengthen the network and support improved supply to communities along the axis,” she said.

Olanrewaju explained that the Ibarapa area relies on a long radial supply network, which has caused voltage issues and ongoing outages, especially in communities at the end of the network. She stated, “The Ibarapa axis currently relies largely on a long radial supply network, resulting in voltage limitations, technical losses, and vulnerability to prolonged outages, particularly at the tail end of the network.”

She also mentioned that new transmission infrastructure from the Transmission Company of Nigeria aims to fix some challenges with electricity supply in the area. This includes the Maya and Igangan 132/33 kV substations and the Igboora switching station.

Olanrewaju said, “The proposed transmission infrastructure being developed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, including the Maya and Igangan 132/33 kV substations and the Igboora switching station, is expected to significantly address these structural limitations when completed and commissioned.”

She assured residents that IBEDC is working with other agencies to finish these projects and improve electricity supply in Ibarapa. She apologized for the troubles caused by the outage. “We apologise for the inconvenience and impact of the outage on residents and businesses in the affected communities,” she said.

Olanrewaju promised residents that IBEDC is doing its best to restore electricity supply as soon as the work is done.