Blackout grounds businesses in Ado-Ekiti, residents cry out

By Boye Oyeyemi

Residents of Ado-Ekiti have raised the alarm over a prolonged power outage that has left several parts of the state capital in darkness for days.

The blackout, which has affected areas such as Awedele, Okeyinmi, Odo-Ado, Ajilosun, Basiri, New Iyin Road and parts of Adebayo, has disrupted economic and social activities.

Business owners, including barbers, traders and cold room operators, said they now depend heavily on generators and inverters to stay afloat.

“We can’t even charge our phones again. We’re begging the government to come to our aid,” a resident, Mrs Bolaji Adeleye, lamented.

Residents of Awedele also decried the security risk posed by the outage, noting that most streets are now plunged into darkness at night.

A student of Ekiti State University (EKSU) residing in Adebayo said the situation has affected academic work.

“I spend about ₦3,000 daily on fuel just to power my devices. It’s becoming unbearable. BEDC should explain what is going on,” he said anonymously.

Several residents also complained about the rising cost of fuel, describing the situation as a heavy burden on households and small-scale businesses, urging he Benin Electricity Distribution Company and the Ekiti State Government to urgently address the situation, as no official explanation had been provided so far.