By Amina Ojelabi
The Badagry Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA) has issued a fervent appeal to the Federal and Lagos State Governments to urgently address the protracted electricity blackout crippling economic activities in the Badagry Division.
Speaking on behalf of the Chamber, its President, Alhaji Yahaya Oladiran Idris who also serves as National Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) decried the worsening power situation caused by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), warning that businesses in the axis are on the brink of collapse.
“BACCIMA is the voice of business along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor from Seme to Apapa, covering the entire old Badagry Division,” Idris stated.
“Today, many towns, villages, and markets in this region remain in total darkness. How can Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) survive under such conditions? It’s simply not possible.” He added
He also noted that artisans, welders, barbers, and market women dealing in frozen foods and beverages all key players in the MSME ecosystem rely heavily on electricity to sustain their operations. The current blackout has left many unable to preserve goods or run essential equipment.
“The cost of fueling generators for homes and businesses is unbearable. It’s killing,” he lamented.
“How are traders, farmers, and entrepreneurs expected to meet their financial obligations rent, school fees, and even food when the lifeblood of their operations is nonexistent?”
Idris recalled that in January 2025, BACCIMA convened a multi-stakeholder meeting at its Secretariat within the Badagry Local Government Secretariat.
Attendees included representatives of EKEDC, local traders, hoteliers, bankers, artisans, and community leaders.
The Chamber demanded an immediate overhaul of electricity supply infrastructure and called for the construction of a dedicated substation and transmission facility in Badagry to serve communities like Apa-Owode, Seme, Ajara Agelaso, Vetho, Itoun, Agbovipe, Agadangba, and surrounding areas.
“It is unimaginable that Nigeria’s border communities remain in darkness, while across the divide in Seme-Poji, Benin Republic, electricity is stable and streets are well-lit,” he added.
The BACCIMA President commended recent media reports suggesting that the Federal Government may allow state governments and private stakeholders to independently generate and distribute electricity.
“If this is true, then we thank the Federal Government for listening to our cries. No serious business can survive without electricity.
Badagry and its environs are hanging by a thread industries can’t thrive in the dark.”
With livelihoods at stake and economic potentials stalled, BACCIMA’s call underscores an urgent national dilemma: Power must be prioritized as the engine of economic revival not only in urban centers but also in historically strategic locations like Badagry.
Aderounmu Aimo Adesesan.
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