FCCPC: Ikeja Electric Headquarters shut over persistent infractions, consumer rights violations

*Energy market observers and consumers also have derisively described Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company as one of the most ‘corrupt organisations’ and ‘irresponsible corporate citizens’ in the Nigerian economy

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

For the energy company’s persistent violation of regulatory directives and consumer rights, Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Thursday, December 11, 2025, sealed off the Headquarters of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), at Alausa-Ikeja, in Lagos State.

FCCPC alleged Ikeja Electric’s carefree refusal to comply with regulatory directives relating to a protracted consumer rights dispute in its jurisdiction.

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Subsequently, the market regulatory Commission’s officials, accompanied by security personnel, shut the Alausa Headquarters office after what the FCCPC described as repeated engagements that yielded no compliance by the DisCo.

Some energy market watchers and electricity consumers also have derisively described the DisCo as one of the most “corrupt organisations” and “irresponsible corporate citizens” in the Nigerian economy.

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The FCCPC enforcement personnel also directed the staff of IKEDC to vacate the premises, as they locked the building.

Speaking on the development in Ikeja, Bola Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigation at FCCPC, said the action followed the DisCo’s failure to implement a binding Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) decision.

Adayinka said the NERC decision had instructed the company to unbundle a Maximum Demand account into 20 separate accounts for a complainant’s property.

The order, the Commission stated, required the recognition of 19 residential units and a service point as individual customer units, with accompanying metering and connection.

NERC also remarked: “Ikeja Electric did not carry out that decision. Because of this failure, the complainant has been without an electricity supply for more than two-and-a-half years.”

NERC explained the scenario leading to the action: “This was despite paying all charges requested by Ikeja Electric and meeting every obligation.

“The lack of electricity has prevented the complainant from putting the 19 residential units to use.”

The FCCPC Director of Surveillance and Investigation as well asserted that the sealing of Ikeja Electric Head Office, in Lagos, would remain in place “until Ikeja Electric complies fully with the directives issued by both NERC and the FCCPC and provides written evidence of that compliance.”

Recalling its earlier efforts at making Ikeja Electric see reason and act responsibly, the Commission said that it issued a directive April 2025, and later a Compliance Notice October this year, giving the company seven business days to act, but all to no avail.

Electricity supply to consumers not affected amid closure: IKEDC

Reacting to the closure of the company’s headquarters in Lagos, the Ikeja Electric confirmed the enforcement.

Kingsley Okotie, Head of Corporate Communications of the company, reportedly described the issue as a compliance matter.

Okotie noted the company had expressed reservations about aspects of the regulatory directive.

He also explained: “We wrote back to the commission.

“But somehow, maybe our reason was not taken, and they decided to make the visit.

“They are a legal entity, fully backed by law. So we had no choice but to allow them to do their work.”

In whether the development could affect power supply to energy consumers, Okotie insisted that electricity supply to customers continued uninterrupted. The company, he stated, is coordinating operations across its centres to ensure the closure of the headquarters did not affect service delivery.

The spokesman, however, described the approach to dispute resolution as avoidable.

According to him, “there are better ways we would have handled this disagreement outside of what has happened, but it is what it is.”

The company is yet engaging the FCCPC to resolve the issue, Okotie said.

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