Lagos Community Where Residents Cross Border to Charge Phones and Fetch Water

 

Kweme Community, a Lagos-Benin Republic border town, has been plagued by years of power outages, forcing residents to seek basic necessities in neighboring Benin Republic. Despite being a key supplier of electricity to Benin, Nigeria's own communities remain in darkness.

According to a report by the Punch on Sunday March 23, 2025, residents travel to Benin to charge phones, fetch water, and conduct business due to the reliable power supply. The community has been without electricity since 2017, crippling local businesses and forcing many to shut down. The lack of power also affects education, healthcare, and security, making residents vulnerable to crime.

The cause of the prolonged power outage is attributed to the repeated vandalism of cables supplying electricity to the community. Despite efforts to repair and replace the cables, the problem persists.

Experts emphasize that access to electricity is essential for economic growth, education, healthcare, and security. The government's failure to address the issue reflects broader inefficiencies within Nigeria's energy sector. Regulatory agencies must enforce accountability, and penalties should be imposed for negligence.

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company attributed the power outage to vandalism of cables passing through the Seme Bridge. Efforts to restore electricity have been hindered by the repeated theft of cables.

Residents urge the government to take immediate action to resolve the power crisis, emphasizing that access to electricity is not a luxury but a basic necessity.