Hundreds of youths and residents from the Ndokwa area blocked the Kwale axis of the Ughelli-Asaba expressway on Monday, June 16, 2025, protesting over 16 years of power outages despite hosting the Okpai Independent Power Plant (IPP).
The protesters carried placards with messages like “Light Up Ndokwa Nation” and “Electricity in Ndokwa Land: Enough is Enough; Nepa No, IPP Yes,” demanding that electricity generated by the IPP be supplied to their communities. The demonstration caused significant traffic disruption as travelers were caught in gridlock.
Mr. Enubuzor, one of the protesters, expressed frustration that while the IPP supplies power to over nine states, the host communities remain in darkness. “It is painful that we have something that can generate electricity for us, but we are suffering. Our people are tired of buying fuel to power our generators,” he said.
The protest escalated when some participants burned tires and stoned vehicles, prompting police to disperse the crowd with tear gas. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, justified the use of tear gas, saying the protest had turned violent.
Meanwhile, the Ndokwa Neku Union, the apex cultural organization of the Ndokwa nation, stated it was not against the protest but questioned its timing. The union revealed it had set up a committee to engage with government authorities on the power step-down issue.
Senator Ned Nwoko has called on the Delta State Government to take over the electricity sector locally to ensure the host communities benefit from the IPP’s power. He noted that despite the plant’s increased capacity from 480MW in 2005 to 980MW in 2022, Ndokwa communities remain without electricity.
The protest highlights long-standing grievances over energy injustice and highlights the urgent need for sustainable solutions to bring power to the people of Ndokwa.
