The Badagry Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA) has called on the Federal and Lagos State Governments to urgently intervene and rescue the Badagry Division from prolonged and crippling electricity blackouts, which are threatening the survival of local businesses.
Speaking on behalf of the Chamber, its President, Alhaji Yahaya Oladiran Idris, who also serves as the National Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), decried the deteriorating state of power supply across the Badagry axis, from Seme to Apapa along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
“BACCIMA is the voice of businesses along this corridor, and we are deeply concerned that many towns, villages, and markets within the division are in total darkness. How can we expect the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in such conditions? It’s simply not feasible,” he said.
Alhaji Idris highlighted the daily struggles of artisans, barbers, welders, frozen food vendors, and other small-scale business owners, who are severely affected by the lack of electricity to power their operations. He lamented the rising cost of running generators for both domestic and business use, describing it as unsustainable.
“Running generators is killing businesses. How do you expect traders, farmers, and entrepreneurs involved in the production value chain to survive under such circumstances? How do they pay house rent, children’s school fees, or even meet daily needs without stable electricity?” he queried.
Recounting BACCIMA’s efforts to address the issue, he recalled a stakeholders’ meeting convened in January 2025, which brought together traders, farmers, hoteliers, bankers, artisans, community leaders, and officials of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC). At the meeting, held at the Chamber’s secretariat within the Badagry Local Government Secretariat, stakeholders demanded urgent improvement in electricity supply and the construction of a substation or transmission station in the area to serve communities such as Apa-Owode, Seme, Ajara Agelaso, Vetho, Itoun, Agbovipe, Agadangba, and others.
“It’s unimaginable that border towns and villages are left in darkness while a short trip across to Seme Poji in Benin Republic reveals well-lit communities,” he said.
Alhaji Idris, however, commended the Federal Government for its recent policy shift to allow state governments and private investors to generate and distribute electricity, expressing hope that this would open new opportunities for localized power generation and improved supply.
“No economy can thrive without electricity. In Badagry and surrounding areas, businesses have nearly collapsed. People are merely struggling to survive. You can’t expect industrial growth in areas without power, which is a major determinant for industry location,” he concluded.
