Inside Modakeke

Editorial: MODAKEKE - A COMMUNITY LEFT IN THE DARK, HOW LONG MUST THE PEOPLE SUFFER?
© Inside Modakeke

For over two weeks, the entire Modakeke community has been trapped in an unacceptable and suffocating blackout. This is not just a technical fault, it is a failure of responsibility, accountability, and service delivery.

According to the IBEDC Modakeke Station Manager, the outage is attributed to faults affecting the two major feeders supplying the town. While technical faults are not unusual in Nigeria's fragile power infrastructure, the prolonged nature of this blackout raises serious concerns. The real issue at this time, is the delay, silence, and apparent indifference that have followed.

Electricity is not a luxury, it is a basic service, and under the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 and the regulatory oversight of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), distribution companies are mandated to ensure efficient, reliable, and timely power supply. The NERC Customer Service Standards of Performance Regulations also require prompt fault resolution and continuous communication with consumers. What Modakeke is experiencing falls far below these standards, and the impact is devastating.

Nigeria already suffers from one of the lowest electricity supply rates globally, with average daily supply ranging between 4 to 8 hours in many areas. Yet in many areas of Modakeke, residents have endured zero supply for over 14 days.

At a time of intense heat, the absence of electricity has gone beyond inconvenience, it has become a matter of survival and economic hardship. In a country where over 60% of small businesses depend on electricity for survival, this blackout has crippled livelihoods. With the soaring cost of petrol and diesel, many can no longer sustain alternative power sources. Barbering salons, cold rooms, cyber cafés, tailors, and food vendors are shutting down daily. Families are forced into unbearable heat conditions, with rising health risks. Livelihoods are stalling, productivity is declining, and frustration is mounting.

And yet, what have we received from IBEDC? The repeated requests for "more time" are increasingly wearing thin. No clear timelines, no transparency, and no accountability. The critical question remains, how much time is enough, and when does accountability begin?

At different points, excuses have ranged from technical faults to alleged attacks on electricity personnel. While we strongly condemn any attack on workers or public infrastructure, such incidents cannot and must not become a permanent shield for inefficiency. Prolonged outages without clear timelines, transparency, or compensation mechanisms fall short of expected service standards.

Community leaders have held meetings, engagements have taken place, yet the situation remains unchanged. Silence and delay are no longer acceptable responses.

If a private company collects payment for services, it must be held accountable when those services are not delivered. Under NERC regulations, customers are entitled to fair treatment, proper service delivery, and in some cases, compensation for prolonged outages. Has IBEDC addressed this? The answer is clearly no.

The people of Modakeke are not asking for miracles, they are asking for power, honesty, and urgency. They deserve clarity, timelines, and more importantly, they deserve light.

We therefore demand a clear and public timeline for restoration, transparent communication on the exact nature of the fault, immediate intervention from NERC and relevant authorities, and consideration of compensation or relief measures for affected residents and businesses.

The question is no longer what went wrong, but what is being done, and when will it end? How long must a community remain in darkness before it is taken seriously?

Modakeke cannot continue to suffer in silence. Enough is enough.

FG Approves Major Road Project Linking Ibadan–Ife–Ilesha, Extends Development to Modakeke
© Inside Modakeke

The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved a major road infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity and boosting economic activities across Oyo and Osun States.

The project, facilitated through the strategic efforts of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, involves the reconstruction of the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesha dual carriageway, alongside the construction of internal roads in Modakeke.

According to official project details released by the Federal Ministry of Works, Mabushi, Abuja, the Modakeke component of the project will cover key routes from Asherifa Estate Junction to Timothy Olanrewaju Street, with an extension detouring into the Esuyare area.

The contract has been awarded to Messrs CBC Global Civil & Building Construction Nigeria Limited, while Tadam Engineering Services Ltd. will serve as consultants on the project. Funding for the initiative is being provided through the Renewed Hope Infrastructural Development Fund, a flagship programme of the Tinubu administration focused on accelerating national development.

Residents of Modakeke and surrounding communities have welcomed the development, describing it as a long-awaited intervention that will improve mobility, enhance local commerce, and stimulate growth within the region.

The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time along the busy Ibadan–Ife–Ilesha corridor while also opening up inner-community access roads in Modakeke, thereby strengthening economic integration.

Observers note that the inclusion of Modakeke internal roads highlights a growing focus on grassroots infrastructure, ensuring that federal projects deliver direct benefits to local communities.