Blackout Hits Edo, Delta, Ondo, Ekiti as Electricity Workers Shut BEDC Facilities
Residents in Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states have reportedly experienced power outages after members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) shut down facilities operated by BEDC Electricity Plc.
The industrial action followed a dispute over workers’ pay and welfare benefits, according to a report published by Vanguard on October 20, 2026.
At BEDC’s headquarters in Benin City, union officials reportedly prevented some staff members from entering the premises while shutting down key operational facilities. The disruption was said to have affected electricity supply from the early hours of Monday.
Some employees reportedly left work earlier than usual as the dispute continued. At the time of the report, BEDC management was meeting with NUEE representatives in an effort to resolve the disagreement.
BEDC Workers’ Welfare Dispute Triggers Shutdown
A senior BEDC employee, who spoke anonymously to Vanguard, expressed surprise at the union’s action. The staff member said management had recently reviewed workers’ emoluments and questioned why the facilities had been shut down.
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The employee also alleged that some workers were harassed while attempting to record the union’s activities.
Efforts to reach Williams Uwumarogie, the NUEE chairman in Edo State, were reportedly unsuccessful.
However, Bernard Egwakide, acting chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, confirmed that the labour dispute had previously attracted the organisation’s attention.
Egwakide said NUEE leaders were meeting with BEDC management and that the outcome would determine whether the NLC would intervene again.
Residents Await Resolution
The shutdown has raised concerns about electricity supply across the four states served by BEDC. However, the report did not provide an estimate of the number of customers affected or indicate when normal power supply would resume.
A resolution between the electricity company and the union will be crucial to restoring operations and limiting the disruption to homes and businesses.
Further updates from BEDC, NUEE and relevant electricity authorities are needed to clarify the scale of the outage and the expected timeline for restoring supply.
