Residents and businesses across several communities in Enugu metropolis were left without electricity on Friday evening after an explosion at the Gariki Injection Substation triggered a widespread power outage.
The incident has intensified public frustration over the state’s unreliable electricity supply, coming amid growing criticism of MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL), the company that assumed control of electricity distribution in Enugu following the transition from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
In a statement released Friday night, MEDL’s Head of Communications, Emeka Ezeh, confirmed that the blackout resulted from an explosion that damaged key equipment at the Gariki Injection Substation. 
According to the company, the explosion occurred around 7:30 p.m. and affected the indoor 11kV breaker, disrupting electricity supply to customers connected to the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders.
Communities affected on the Army feeder include Army Barracks, One Day Road, Meniru, Upper Meniru, and Joe Continental. Those served by the Gariki feeder also experienced outages, including Gariki Market, Mayor Market, Roban Stores along Agbani Road, Crunchies, Mobile Police Barracks, Amechi Road, Upper Mount, Ikiriki, Emeka Ebila, Ozalla Street, Egbonnaji, Nnaji Ogbodo, Idaw River, Igbariam Street, Liberation, Mount, Umuchu, Achina, Vance, Unubi, Enugu Agidi, Amawbia, Amokwe, Kenneth, Amah, and Hill Crest.
MEDL said its engineers had begun assessing the extent of the damage and were already working to restore electricity to the affected areas.
“Our technical team is currently carrying out a comprehensive assessment of the damage and has commenced the necessary restoration efforts to ensure power supply is restored as quickly as possible,” the company said.
The utility also apologized for the disruption, appealing to customers for patience while repair work continues.
Friday’s outage adds to a growing list of power failures that have fueled widespread dissatisfaction with electricity services in Enugu State.
In May, residents of several communities accused MainPower of leaving homes, hospitals, and businesses without electricity for more than 10 days after a rainstorm damaged critical infrastructure. The prolonged outage forced many households and businesses to depend on costly petrol and diesel generators amid rising economic hardship.
The company has also faced regulatory action this year. Following numerous complaints—particularly from Band A customers—the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) downgraded 59 of MainPower’s feeders after investigations found the utility failed to provide the minimum hours of electricity required under the Service-Based Tariff regime despite charging customers at higher rates.
Since taking over Enugu’s electricity distribution under the state’s power sector reforms, MainPower has continued to face mounting criticism over prolonged outages, aging infrastructure, equipment failures, and inconsistent power supply, leaving many residents questioning whether promised improvements will ever materialize.
