The headquarters of the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) in Lagos has been sealed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) following allegations of persistent violations of consumer rights and a demonstrated failure to comply with binding regulatory directives.
The decisive enforcement action was a direct consequence of Ikeja Electric’s refusal to implement a specific decision issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). According to a source from the commission, the utility company was directed to unbundle a single maximum demand (MD) account into twenty separate, non-maximum demand accounts.
A maximum demand account is typically designated for large-scale consumers with high peak electricity usage, often requiring specialized infrastructure such as dedicated transformers. In this particular case, the NERC directive aimed to separate nineteen residential units and one service point, all grouped under the single MD account, into individual customer accounts. The order stipulated that each new account must be properly metered and connected to the grid.
However, the FCCPC stated that Ikeja Electric did not carry out this essential directive. This failure had severe and prolonged consequences for the customers involved, leaving the complainant without power supply for over two and a half years, despite meeting all financial obligations. The lack of supply subsequently rendered the nineteen residential units within the property unusable for this extended period.
The sealing of the IKEDC facility came only after the Commission had exhausted attempts at dialogue and issued multiple formal warnings and compliance notices. The FCCPC cited an April 2025 directive which clearly outlined specific steps and timelines for compliance. Furthermore, a subsequent Compliance Notice was issued on October 2, 2025, granting the distribution company a final seven business days to fully adhere to the NERC decision. Both directives were ignored by the DisCo, forcing the FCCPC to take the extreme step of enforcement to uphold consumer protection laws and regulatory authority.
The action underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring that service providers in the power sector adhere strictly to consumer protection standards and regulatory mandates.
