10-year blackout cripples Oyo communities

Residents of Igboora in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area and Ayete, Tapa and Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State have lamented prolonged power outages, saying their communities have been without regular electricity for about a decade.

The residents, who separately spoke with PUNCH Metro on Thursday, said the prolonged blackout had adversely affected businesses, schools, healthcare, security and development across the communities.

A civil servant and indigene of Igboora, Olaoye Emmanuel Olatayo, said electricity supply to the community had been epileptic for as long as he could remember, adding that Igboora had been in darkness for about 10 years.

Olaoye said the situation had forced some residents whose businesses depended on electricity to relocate.

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 had made several efforts to address the situation, including sending a delegation to meet the then Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who reportedly promised to look into the matter.

“Unfortunately, nothing changed till today,” he said.

Olaoye also attributed the prolonged outage partly to the alleged vandalism and theft of electricity cables serving the community.

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 Igboora resident, Prince Tayo Akinyemi, said the prolonged blackout had contributed to the deterioration of electricity infrastructure in the community, while vandalism had further complicated efforts to restore supply.

According to him, residents had pooled resources and spent millions of naira repairing and replacing vandalised cables and equipment, but the efforts had failed to provide a lasting solution.

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 alleged that a shortage of technical personnel had contributed to the slow response to faults in the area, claiming that only one technical staff member was currently assigned to the entire Ibarapa region.

Akinyemi said residents had repeatedly appealed to the government and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, but that their efforts had yielded little result.

In Tapa, the Chief Executive Officer of Pattern Water Solution, Oke Wasiu, said residents had also endured more than a decade of inadequate electricity supply.

Wasiu said the community had not enjoyed meaningful electricity supply for years, adding that residents who could afford it had resorted to solar power as an alternative.

He said, “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 had hindered development in the community and forced residents to resort to self-help.

“There’s no sign of development, and the residents have no option but to resort to self-help,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Ayete Progressive Union, Aliu Kewulere Mukaram, said the prolonged blackout had affected Ayete, Tapa, Igangan and surrounding communities.

• NTTF boss hands over equipped table tennis hall to Oyo govt
• University Press Plc reports N213.7m profit after tax
• Police arrest 17-year-old for defiling three-year-old girl in Oyo

Mukaram said residents had made several attempts to restore electricity, including raising funds for repairs, visiting IBEDC offices and protecting electricity infrastructure from vandalism.

He said the blackout had negatively affected businesses, schools and security in the communities.

The union president also raised concerns about the condition of roads linking the communities, alleging that heavy-duty trucks conveying materials from quarries had contributed to their deterioration.

The residents called on the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government and IBEDC to urgently intervene and restore regular electricity supply to the affected communities.

They also urged the authorities to address the alleged vandalism of electricity infrastructure and provide a lasting solution to the prolonged power outage.

However, the IBEDC Coordinating Head of Corporate Services, Angela Olanrewaju, attributed the poor electricity supply to infrastructure limitations affecting the axis.

Olanrewaju said the company had commenced rehabilitation and restoration work on the affected network, alongside vegetation management to improve its reliability.

She said, “IBEDC has begun rehabilitation and restoration work on the affected network, along with vegetation management, to improve network reliability.”

She added that the Federal Government, through the Rural Electrification Agency, was undertaking Phase 1 rehabilitation of 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 axis largely depended on a long radial supply network, which had contributed to voltage limitations, technical losses and prolonged outages, particularly in communities located at the tail end of the network.

“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 disclosed.

She further said the proposed transmission infrastructure being developed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria was expected to address some of the structural challenges affecting electricity supply in the area.

According to her, the planned infrastructure includes the Maya and Igangan 132/33 kV substations and the Igboora switching station.

“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 said.

Olanrewaju said IBEDC was working with relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to support the completion of the interventions and improve electricity supply across the Ibarapa axis.

She apologised to residents and businesses affected by the outage, noting that the company had engaged with the affected communities to explain the situation.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and impact of the outage on residents and businesses in the affected communities,” she said.

Olanrewaju assured residents that the IBEDC was working with relevant stakeholders to restore electricity supply as soon as the intervention works were completed.