Residents of Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State are set to stage a protest on Friday over a power outage that has left parts of the industrial community without public electricity for over eight months.
The planned protest was organized by resident JP Ngochindo and is aimed at the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and the Eleme Local Government Authority.
Ngochindo told police the planned demonstration was aimed at demanding urgent action to restore electricity to affected communities. The long power outage has also raised the costs of doing business in Eleme, an industrial hub with major companies and facilities.
Residents and businesses have had to turn to petrol and diesel generators for power, while those without generators rely on commercial charging centers to meet basic electricity needs.
The latest threat of protest is coming on the heels of an announcement by the Eleme Council in July that it would intervene in the electricity crisis in communities such as Ogale, Agbonchia and Ebubu.
The council at the time said 33 electricity poles had been damaged in the wake of natural disasters and that vandalism had added to the problem.
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The company said it would repair and replace damaged infrastructure, install boundary meters on the 11KVA and 33KVA lines and take other measures to improve electricity supply and reduce billing problems.
The council also said it had begun talks with West Africa Container Terminal in Onne about a possible partnership on power infrastructure upgrades, while looking at broader upgrades and more power allocation for the area.
The latest report, however, says work to replace damaged feeder pillars has been halted after heavy rainfall, and flooding made it difficult to continue installation.
The continuing outage means businesses operating in the area are still facing extra energy costs at a time when unreliable power is already pressuring Nigerian manufacturers.
Data from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria showed that manufacturers spent N1.34 trillion on alternative electricity sources in 2025 nationally.
Local impact is especially relevant for Eleme businesses because of the area’s large industrial activity and some major companies.
The planned protest will now further pressure the PHEDC and the local government to give a definite timeline for restoration of power and completion of the repair work.
The current status of the planned protest and the status of the affected infrastructure by PHEDC were not immediately available.
