The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, has called for urgent federal intervention to address what he described as the prolonged and deplorable state of electricity supply across the Ibarapa zone of Oyo State.
Presenting the motion before the House during Tuesday’s plenary sitting, Ogundoyin lamented that communities in Ibarapaland have endured more than fifteen years of erratic and, in many cases, completely non existent power supply, leaving residents and businesses in sustained darkness and economic hardship.
Hon. Peter Ojedokun, who presented the motion on behalf of the Speaker as the co sponsor, noted that electricity falls under the Concurrent Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution as amended, placing its generation, transmission and primary regulation within the purview of federal institutions, particularly the Federal Ministry of Power and other regulatory agencies in the power sector.
The Speaker said the situation across the seven major towns of Eruwa, Lanlate, Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan remains alarming.
According to him, several communities have been disconnected from meaningful supply from the national grid for over a decade, while areas that receive electricity experience erratic and grossly inadequate supply for domestic, commercial and institutional needs.
Ogundoyin attributed the lingering crisis to outdated and dilapidated distribution infrastructure, abandoned projects, faulty transformers, weak feeders and the absence of functional substations capable of guaranteeing stable supply to the zone.
He further observed that residents and business owners continue to receive estimated and often exorbitant electricity bills from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company despite not enjoying commensurate supply, a development he said has compounded the economic burden on the people.
“The prolonged blackout has crippled socio economic activities in the area,” Ogundoyin said.
He stressed that small and medium scale enterprises, artisans, welders, cold room operators, ICT centres, farmers and agro processors are forced to rely on petrol and diesel generators at high cost.
He added that public institutions such as the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic and the College of Agriculture operate under extremely difficult conditions due to irregular power supply, affecting service delivery, research and digital learning.
The Speaker recalled that in 2025, the Federal Ministry of Power commenced re electrification efforts in the zone and promised the construction and completion of three substations in Eruwa, Igboora and Igangan as part of federal intervention measures.
However, he expressed concern that the projects are yet to be fully realised, leaving residents waiting in prolonged uncertainty.
While acknowledging the installation of solar street lights in some communities, Ogundoyin described the effort as insufficient when compared to the urgent need for sustainable, grid connected electricity capable of powering homes, industries and public institutions.
“The people of Ibarapa have endured over fifteen years of darkness, economic stagnation and infrastructural neglect. It is just and necessary that urgent intervention be mobilised to restore light, revitalise businesses and strengthen institutions,” he stated.
The House consequently resolved to urge the executive arm of government through the Oyo State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to engage the Federal Ministry of Power and other relevant agencies for the expedited completion and commissioning of the proposed substations.
Lawmakers also called on relevant federal authorities to urgently assess, rehabilitate and upgrade transmission and distribution infrastructure serving the zone, including feeders and transformers, to ensure stable supply.
In addition, the House urged IBEDC to review its billing practices in Ibarapa, discontinue arbitrary and estimated billing where supply is non existent and ensure customers are billed strictly for electricity consumed in line with extant regulations.
The Assembly further appealed to the National Rural Electrification authorities to prioritise Ibarapa in rural electrification and grid expansion programmes, with a view to reconnecting communities that have remained in darkness for over a decade.
The House Committee on Energy was however, mandated to interface with relevant state and federal authorities and report back to the House within four weeks on concrete steps taken to restore stable electricity supply to Ibarapaland.