By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC, is facing a fresh regulatory showdown following mounting opposition from residents of Ilasamaja in Lagos over the company’s decision to migrate the Ilasamaja 11KV feeder from Band B to Band A.

The Ilasamaja DTS Consumer Forum, representing residents of the communities , have rejected the reclassification, alleging that the migration was carried out without adequate evidence that the feeder had consistently met the minimum service requirements for Band A.

The dispute follows a response from EKEDC’s Regulatory HelpDesk, which confirmed that the Ilasamaja 11KV Feeder ex-Isolo Transmission Station was migrated to Band A in August 2026.

EKEDC said the feeder’s performance and network stability had “improved significantly” and that it was currently being managed to deliver Band A service levels.

The company, however, acknowledged concerns from residents over the feeder’s historical supply performance.

According to the DisCo, the period cited by the communities in its complaint—May to July 2026—fell under Band B, as the feeder was only migrated to Band A in August following operational assessments of feeder and network conditions.

But the communities have rejected EKEDC’s explanation, insisting that the reclassification allegedly failed to satisfy regulatory conditions governing migration to a higher service band.

In a response, the Convener of the Ilasamaja DTS Consumer Forum, Kadiri Rasheed Adebayo, accused EKEDC of breaching provisions of the NERC Service-Based Tariff framework and relevant Lagos State electricity consumer protection regulations.

The residents contend that a DisCo should demonstrate that a feeder has consistently delivered the minimum electricity supply hours applicable to a higher band before customers are migrated and charged under that classification.

For Band A, the communities say the applicable requirement is a minimum of 20 hours of supply per day, and alleges that EKEDC failed to demonstrate that the Ilasamaja feeder had achieved the required performance before the August migration.

The residents also accused the DisCo of failing to consult or engage the communities before the reclassification, alleging that no town hall meeting, prior notice or stakeholder engagement was conducted with residents or the consumer forum.

The dispute has now widened beyond the communities and EKEDC, with the residents copying the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission, LASERC, Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Lagos State Parking Authority, LASOPA,,and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, in their complaint.

The communities are demanding the immediate reversal of the Ilasamaja feeder to Band B, publication of its electricity supply data for the preceding three months and independent verification of the figures by the relevant regulators and community representatives.

They are also demanding credits or refunds for customers allegedly billed at Band A rates since August without receiving the corresponding level of service.

The residents further called on the regulatory authorities to intervene and prevent what they described as further migrations without due process and regulatory compliance.

EKEDC, for its part, said it remained committed to transparency, regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction, assuring residents that it would continue to monitor the feeder’s performance.

The emerging dispute could become a test case for the enforcement of service-based electricity tariffs in Lagos, particularly where consumers challenge whether the quality of electricity supply justifies their placement in a higher tariff band.

As both sides maintain their positions, the intervention of the relevant regulatory authorities is expected to determine whether the Ilasamaja feeder met the conditions for its Band A classification and whether affected customers should continue paying the higher tariff.