WARRI, Delta State — Residents around Deco Road and adjoining areas in Warri have raised concerns over an extended electricity outage that has lasted for more than three weeks, leaving homes and businesses without power and disrupting daily economic activities across the community. The affected residents say the situation has become increasingly unbearable, especially as they continue to receive monthly electricity bills despite the prolonged blackout.
According to multiple residents who spoke to reporters, the area has been without electricity supply for approximately 22 days, with no clear explanation or restoration timeline provided by the distribution authorities. They alleged that even though they remain customers of the national electricity distribution network commonly referred to as NEPA, now under successor electricity distribution companies, billing has continued uninterrupted. Many described the situation as unfair, arguing that it places additional financial pressure on households already struggling with rising living costs.
Small business owners in Deco Road and surrounding streets said the outage has severely affected commercial activity, particularly for those who rely on electricity for refrigeration, welding, tailoring, phone charging services, and other informal enterprises. Several traders reported losses due to spoilage of goods and reduced customer turnout, as commercial activity has slowed significantly without stable power supply. Some residents also noted increased spending on fuel for generators, further increasing operating costs.
Community members expressed frustration over what they described as a lack of communication from the electricity distribution company responsible for the area. They said repeated complaints and inquiries have not produced meaningful responses or visible maintenance activity. Residents have therefore appealed to both the Delta State Government and federal regulatory authorities to intervene urgently and ensure that supply is restored or that a clear explanation is provided for the prolonged outage.
Some residents also argued that the continued billing during blackout periods undermines public trust in the electricity distribution system. They said the absence of accountability mechanisms for service interruptions has left consumers with limited options beyond protest or public complaints. According to them, the current situation reflects broader challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, including infrastructure failures, poor maintenance culture, and inconsistent regulatory enforcement.
Energy analysts note that prolonged outages remain a recurring issue across several parts of Nigeria, often linked to transmission constraints, distribution faults, or grid instability. However, they emphasize that effective communication and rapid response mechanisms are essential to reducing the economic and social impact on affected communities.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the relevant electricity distribution company regarding the cause of the outage or when power supply is expected to be restored to the Deco Road axis and surrounding communities in Warri.
