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Anger over relentless power cuts spilled onto the streets of Lagos as residents mounted a public protest against what they described as “epileptic” electricity supply that is crippling homes and businesses.

In a video widely shared on social media, dozens of protesters, many of them young people, marched through the Fadeyi axis of the city, chanting and waving placards. Their message was blunt and urgent: the power situation is no longer tolerable.

Handwritten signs captured the mood of a community pushed to the brink. “No more estimated billing” read one placard, denouncing a billing system many Nigerians say forces them to pay for electricity they never receive. Others declared “No more epileptic power supply” and “No light, no life, no nation,” linking the blackouts to a broader sense of national stagnation.

Another banner accused authorities and power firms of strangling local enterprise: “You’re destroying, killing so many businesses; give us regular light.”

Over the noise of traffic and chants, one protester’s voice cut through in the video. “We are not asking for too much,” he shouted. “Make them give us light!” The crowd responded with cheers, underscoring how electricity has become a rallying point for wider economic frustration.

The Lagos demonstration is part of a growing wave of public outcry over power supply across Nigeria. In Osun State, the Nigerian Youth Congress in Boripe Local Government recently condemned the “persistent lack of stable electricity,” warning that the situation is economically ruinous and socially unsustainable.

In Delta State, business owners in Effurun and Uvwie have also taken to the streets, protesting soaring electricity bills and erratic supply. Many small enterprises say they are being forced to choose between shutting down or running costly generators for hours each day.

These protests are unfolding against a backdrop of deepening concern within the power industry itself. The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Dr Joy Ogaji, has warned that the national electricity crisis could deteriorate further as gas suppliers move to cut off fuel to thermal power plants over an estimated N3.3 trillion debt owed by generation companies.

For the protesters in Lagos, those high-level figures translate into a simple, stark reality: dark homes, silent workshops and shuttered shops. Their slogan “No light, no life” captures a fear that without reliable power, the promise of economic recovery and growth will remain out of reach.