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How my electricity bill jumped by N26.3million in one month – Lagos deputy gov
Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, has narrated how Eko Disco, one of the electricity providers in Lagos, slammed him with a bill reflecting a whopping increase of N26.3million in just one month.
He said the bill the Disco sent him for his official residence soared from just N2.7 million in March to ₦29 million in April, a development, he explained was clearly shocking.
The Deputy Governor, who used the development to illustrate the exorbitant nature of electricity billing in Nigeria, made the revelation on Monday at a roundtable in Victoria Island, adding that the company, which sent the bill had also obstructed his efforts to acquire a prepaid meter, despite having paid for one.
At the event, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), held inside the Oriental Hotel, Hamzat described the utility billing situation as outrageous.
Representing Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, during the event, which also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote renewable energy and decentralised electricity generation across Lagos State, he told his audience: “People are struggling to survive, and the common denominator is power.
“Last month, in my official residence, the bill was ₦2.7 million. This month, Eko DisCo sent a bill of ₦29 million. I even bought a meter to avoid estimated billing, but getting it activated has been a nightmare.”
He also cited the case of a Lagos resident in Coker Aguda, Surulere, who received an electricity bill of ₦2.8 million despite paying ₦2 million annually in rent, querying: “How can someone’s electricity bill exceed their annual rent? These are the challenges we face. Our people are suffering due to estimated billing.”
Full of commendations for Biodun Ogunleye, Commissioner for Energy, for facilitating the partnership with the REA, which aims to solarize rural communities and improve energy access, he, emphasised that unreliable electricity remains a major constraint for homes and businesses across Lagos and Nigeria.
Stressing that the partnership with the REA was a step toward bridging the energy gap using renewable technologies like solar power, he added: “There are about 4.5 million generators in Lagos. Many people run on 30kVA or 50kVA generators, bypassing public power supply entirely. We generate enough energy, but it’s poorly distributed.”
He stressed the need for a sustainable energy framework to drive productivity, job creation, and inclusive growth, while the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to involve grassroots stakeholders—Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Committees (CDCs)—in planning and executing energy projects.
“These community groups are vital for identifying local needs, ensuring proper planning, and improving project outcomes,” he said.
Ogunleye, who described the MoU as a milestone in Lagos’ journey toward a green economy. He noted the initiative would reduce dependence on fossil fuels and create new jobs, said: “This partnership with REA will provide Lagosians with stable electricity, open new markets, and encourage innovation.”
The agreement outlines plans to expand solar power infrastructure in underserved and off-grid communities through: Joint technical assessments, Capacity-building initiatives, and Investment facilitation.
According to the Lagos Economic Development Update (2025) report, over 80% of Lagos residents and businesses spend ₦5.3 trillion annually to power generators due to persistent electricity shortages.
As of 2020, only 31% of Lagos households had access to the national grid, with 69% relying on generators and alternative power sources.
Nafiu Bala Gombe, the man on whose behalf the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently in a prostrate state, has admitted to getting outside help in prosecuting his legal matters against the David Mark camp.
Recall that Mark, former Senate President and Rauf Aregbesola were, last week, derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and had their names struck out based on the case filed by Gombe on September 2, 2025.
The commission had relied on the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered parties in the case to maintain status quo ante bellum, which it interpreted to mean that it should not deal with either side.
Against the backdrop of the dust the matter had raised across the country, the embattled ADC leadership, had accused the former Deputy Chairman of being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to play the spoiler role to enable President Bola Tinubu have no challenge in the 2027 presidential election.
Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the Mark camp, had last week, stated this much when he wondered how Gombe, who on his own could not afford an ordinary lawyer, going by his financial status, would now be hiring more than three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to represent him, which would probably run into tens of millions of naira.
Reacting on Tuesday, Gombe admitted getting outside help, but added that such assistance was not coming from government quarters or the APC, but from public-spirited individuals and Nigerians averse to the injustice being meted out to him.
Abimuku Monday, spokesman to Gombe, who spoke during an appearance on Morning Briefs, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, told his host: “Before now, they were saying these people are big weights and we’re light weights. Now, we’re suddenly being seen as human beings. Earlier, we were seen as nobodies – as boys who don’t have capacity to challenge this in court.
“They say Nafiu Bala does not even have money to pursue his case. You see, that’s how they reduce people by their own estimation. They don’t find out who people. They have forgotten that for you to seek legal actions, there are so many ways to go about it.
“It is either you use your own money or your personal relationship with people. Does it mean that somebody in politics cannot have his own friends or cannot have lawyers as his friend or cannot have other members of the society as his friends.
“These are not members of the APC. They don’t belong to any party. They’re citizens of this country, who mean well for Nigeria. Nobody is scuttling the coalition. The fact remains that if you have a challenge, people will rally around you knowing it’s a good cause you’re fighting. People will rally around you to give you the necessary support that you need. They even called my principal a small boy.”
Serah Luca, a Christian woman, has returned N1 million she unknowingly took along with goods purchased from a trader at Terminus market in Jos, Plateau state capital.
Luca, a petty trader, reportedly said she made the purchase on Friday and only discovered the hidden cash after getting home.
She said her decision to return the money was driven by fear of God and her belief that she could not keep what did not belong to her, especially knowing the hardship that comes with losing money in business.
“I am a petty businesswoman. I know what it means to suffer loss. If I put that kind of money into my business, I believe God would punish me,” Daily Trust quoted her as saying.
The trader, Abubakar Dola, who deals in polythene bags at Terminus market, expressed surprise at the woman’s honesty, noting that he had no idea where the money went after mistakenly placing it inside the bag she bought.
Dola said he had planned to transfer the cash through a point of sales (POS) operator but became worried when he could not see the polythene bag where the money was kept.
“I mistakenly included it in what she bought. I didn’t realise until days later, and I had already given up hope. For her to return it after three days is remarkable. I pray Allah rewards her and gives us more people like her.”
“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” were the words with which US President Donald Trump, flashed the redlight signal over what could be the fate of Iran in the coming hours, after a month-old war, which saw leaders of the Islamic nation, all but totally obliterated.
The POTUS, who on Saturday, gave Iran 48 hours to to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic approaches, or comply or risk facing “hell,” later threatened that the US would blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran failed to adhere to his warning.
However, in his latest threat on Monday, Trump told reporters that Iran had until Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (1 am WAT) to make a deal, adding: “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business – burning, exploding and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition – by 12 o’clock. And it’ll happen over a period of four hours if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen.”
Nafiu Gombe: Yes, I have sponsors! *I can’t fight ADC big men alone!
Woman returns N1million discovered in purchased items to owner
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