Theft of electricity cables has pushed Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to the brink of collapse in a Lagos community. The affected community, Ketu-Epe, has been in darkness since September 2025, when vandals cut high-tension cables serving the area and nearby neighbourhoods. As a result, business owners like Lateefat Olofin, a 55-year-old restaurant owner, have resorted to buying ice blocks from neighbouring states to keep their businesses running. Olofin spends about N2,000 daily on ice blocks, which she claims is a significant burden on her business. She also uses a generator to power her shop, adding to her operational cost.
The theft of electricity cables has had a devastating impact on women-owned SMEs in the area. These businesses, which are the backbone of Nigeria's informal and microeconomic sectors, are struggling to stay afloat due to the lack of electricity. Many medium-scale businesses are forced to rely on expensive alternatives, such as buying ice blocks from neighbouring states or using generators, which are costly to maintain.
The situation is not unique to Ketu-Epe. Many areas in Lagos, including Epe, Ibeju Lekki, Ajah, and Lagos Island, have been experiencing outages, voltage fluctuations, and the high cost of backup power. This has forced business owners to divert profits to keep their lights—and livelihoods—on.
The lack of electricity in Ketu-Epe and other Lagos communities is a clear failure of the government's responsibility to provide basic infrastructure. The Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, notes that the electricity liability is often caused by infrastructure design and network capacity. However, the government's inaction in addressing this issue is exacerbating the problem. The General Manager of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Charles Iwuamadi, admits that vandalism of transmission lines has risen by over 30 per cent in recent years, despite efforts to curb it. The government must take concrete steps to address this issue and provide a stable electricity supply to businesses and residents. The cost of inaction is too high, and it is time for the government to take responsibility for its failures.
