Nigeria, April 17 -- In Nigeria today, it's no longer news that light is a luxury, but what is shocking is that even the high and mighty now groan under the weight of electricity bills that look more like ransom notes. The Punch recently carried a headline that could have passed for satire: "DisCo hiked my bill from N2.7m to N29m - Lagos deputy gov." At first glance, one might think it's a typo, or perhaps a Nollywood script. But no-it was a real-life lamentation from none other than Obafemi Hamzat, the deputy governor of Lagos State.

At a roundtable on April 14, 2025, in Victoria Island, Hamzat did not mince words. Representing Governor Sanwo-Olu, he recounted his own ordeal with Eko DisCo. In March, the bill was N2.7 million. By April,...