Tension is rising in the Federal Capital Territory as angry residents have taken to the streets, accusing the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) of favouring wealthy areas while leaving ordinary neighbourhoods in darkness.
Over the weekend, protests broke out in Kuje, Kubwa, and Dutse. Residents from these areas, which fall under electricity Bands B to E, say they only receive a few hours of power daily despite paying monthly bills.
They expressed frustration over what they see as an unfair system. While they struggle with erratic supply, elite districts and major institutions in Band A reportedly enjoy up to 20 hours of uninterrupted electricity.
“It is injustice of the highest order,” a Kubwa resident said. “We all pay, but only a few benefit. Are we not part of the same country?”
Protesters are demanding that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the federal government review or scrap the band system. They insist that fair access to electricity should not be a privilege for the few but a right for all.
“Development depends on equal access to essential services,” a protester in Dutse said. “Public trust is lost when power is reserved for select areas.”
With public anger growing, many are now waiting to see how the authorities will respond to calls for reform in Nigeria’s electricity distribution system.
