Relief may be in sight for residents of Royal Gardens Estate, Ajah, Lagos, as the Lagos State House of Assembly has stepped into the lingering electricity crisis that has kept the community in darkness for more than a year.
In a letter signed by the Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, and addressed to the Chairman of the Royal Gardens Estate Residents’ Association (RGERA), Mr Anthony Ogbebor, the Assembly invited stakeholders to appear before its Committee on Housing on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.
“You are enjoined to attend the meeting along with relevant documents that will facilitate fruitful deliberation at the meeting,” the letter read.
The invitation followed a petition by the residents’ association alleging “a protracted dispute and abuse of fundamental rights of owners and residents.”
According to RGERA Chairman, Mr Ogbebor, the trouble began on May 26, 2024, when the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) disconnected the estate from the national grid. Since then, residents have relied on diesel-powered generators and solar panels to meet their basic electricity needs.
He explained that the disconnection was linked to a controversial bulk metering system imposed on the estate. Under the arrangement, the entire community, including homes and other facilities, is supplied through a single bulk meter, while residents only have check meters that do not serve as billing meters.
“As a result, even when residents top up their meters, power is cut off if the overall estate bill is not settled,” he said.
Mr Ogbebor described the arrangement as “unfair, unaccountable and illegal,” citing the 2023 Electricity Act, which bans bulk metering in residential estates and directs a switch to individual metering. He noted that other Lagos estates such as VGC, Nicon Town, and Crown Estate have already moved to direct billing.
The chairman accused the estate’s developer, Trojan Estates, of frustrating efforts to adopt lawful and transparent billing.
” The Electricity Act is clear, bulk metering in estates is no longer legal. EKEDC is willing to migrate us to direct metering, but Trojan Estates insists on keeping an illegal system, and they don’t even pay the bills. This has gone beyond electricity. What we are facing is a deliberate abuse of our rights as residents and stakeholders in this estate,” he said.
To resolve the dispute, Ogbebor said the RGERA had earlier petitioned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which convened meetings for all parties. While EKEDC and residents honoured the invitations, Trojan Estates reportedly boycotted two hearings and instead filed a suit challenging NERC’s authority, a move Ogbebor described as an attempt to frustrate efforts at an amicable resolution.
Apart from the electricity issue, residents say the dispute has shown bigger problems in how the estate is run. They accuse the developer of intimidating people, making decisions alone, and even trying to remove solar streetlights paid for by the community.
Ogbebor added that the association is not looking for a fight but for fairness. He explained that residents just want their rights respected and their opinions considered. Their aim, he added, is to have a proper electricity system, clear billing, and a peaceful place for everyone to live.
