00:00Just a few minutes drive from the buzzing heart of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.
00:06A city powered by endless energy lies a community that has lived in darkness for more than a century.
00:13Less than 20 kilometers away, yet their reality is words apart.
00:19Today, we bring you the story of a community who built homes, raised children, and sustained livelihoods without a single day of government electricity.
00:32This community, established over 100 years ago, has grown through generations.
00:38But despite its age, despite its proximity to Lagos, and despite the presence of nearby government infrastructure,
00:45electricity has never gotten here.
00:52With no power supply, residents rely on personal solar systems, small generators, or candlelight each day,
01:00a struggle to perform the simplest task many urban dwellers take for granted.
01:06Ironically, government infrastructure surrounds them, including major train stations like Kajola Station and Osuosun Station.
01:14But electricity, the one thing every community needs most, still hasn't arrived.
01:21And they're around the ambiente.
01:23These are 20-years.
01:25These are the same as Kajola Station.
01:28And the same as Kandu and other solar system.
01:31They're old, but the other thing is, they're old, they're old and they're old.
01:34And these are old and they're old, they'll pay less of $2-3-8 million.
01:36So they're old, they're old, they...
01:40And they're old and old, the other thing is an old man.
01:43They have to very young people.
01:44They say that we did this.
01:45And they get to it.
01:46They go there.
01:47I am seeking this opportunity to beg our government to help us in Seriki Kajola
02:10Because we are facing a lot of problems about this electricity
02:17Please and please and please, we want government to help us
02:22There is nothing we can do without lights
02:26There is nothing we can do without lights
02:29Our children, wives, even rock, everything just stands still
02:34So we are seeking this opportunity to beg government to help us so that we can have lights
02:42For the past 5 years that we have entered this community
02:46I have never sighted lights in this place apart from where we were coming from
02:50And it is a very big challenge for us, especially when reading
02:54I am in SS3 now
02:56Anytime I want to read a poem for my WAEG, it will be very hard for me
03:01Without touch light or fluorescent light, I cannot read
03:05It is that when newcomers come to this society
03:09If they did not see light, they are parking away because of their children
03:12If they want to read, without touch light
03:14And the causes of solar in this place is very high
03:17We do not have light, so we are pleading to the local governments
03:20They should please, they should help us with the facility of light in this place
03:23I have been living here the past 13 years ago without light
03:28We all know the effectiveness of light in any community
03:34We have been using generator both day and night
03:41The money that the generator consumes, the money we spend on generator
03:47It is not a small money, at least in a day
03:49If we want to minimize it, we are going to use, let's say, 10 liters per day
03:55Because of the situation of the economy now
03:59So, if you look at this Kadiola, it is a very big area
04:05People that live in this, more than 80,000 people living at Kadiola
04:11Inside darkness
04:13We all know the effectiveness of light
04:17If every one of us look at the situation of Nigeria nowadays
04:21The issue of kidnapping, here and there
04:24If you look at Kadiola, no security, no light, not nothing we are in darkness
04:30I believe that if government can give us light
04:34This town will more than this
04:37Because we have railway station
04:39This new one
04:41They named this train station
04:43Oshibaju railway station
04:47About 3 or 4 years ago
04:49Which is a limit under the former vice president of Nigeria
04:55That railway station is built
04:59Inside the darkness
05:01And I want to use the opportunity to bear the federal government
05:05If they can remember us
05:07Because every year
05:09Every 4 or 4 years
05:10When they want to cast votes
05:11We do cast our votes
05:12I have my voters card
05:15At the end of the day
05:17We didn't receive anything from the federal government
05:19Even the local government
05:20Look at my school
05:22I do pay my dues
05:24Low government dues
05:26I used to come here
05:27They would collect their money
05:28I would pay
05:29Further revenue
05:31I pay almost 120 to 150 every year
05:34For my revenue
05:35For my
05:36This thing
05:37So what is the essence of paying all those money
05:39Without effectiveness
05:40Not nothing
05:41We didn't achieve anything
05:43From the federal government
05:45So I want to use the opportunity
05:47To beg our government
05:48If they can remember us
05:50Because if there is slight in this community
05:53There will be a lot of employment
05:55We have weather
05:56All those people
05:58That are selling parts
05:59Electrical parts
06:00They are here
06:01Many people have work
06:02But due to
06:03Due to the lack of light
06:04They cannot perform anything
06:06They are roaming about
06:07I believe
06:08If light enter cardinal today
06:10You will see a lot of development
06:12People that want to establish a company
06:14They will come
06:15But without light
06:16They cannot come
06:17We are in darkness
06:18We are in bush
06:19They don't remember us
06:21But every year
06:22They will come here
06:23To come and campaign
06:24They will do this
06:25They will do this
06:26After the casting of our vote
06:27They will not say anything again
06:28The life here is very
06:30Very
06:31Horrible
06:32It is a horrible life
06:34Because of light
06:35Everybody knows the importance of light
06:37So as far as light
06:39There is no light here
06:40There is nothing going here honestly
06:42Light carries progress
06:44Even when God created the world
06:47He put light
06:48That shows that light is needed
06:50Light has helped many people
06:52Electronics people
06:54All welders
06:56All people
06:57All professions
06:58I don't think there is any profession
06:59That doesn't need light
07:00Light is a very essential thing to life
07:03Honestly
07:04As far as the place is darkness
07:06That is how everything is dark
07:08Business is here
07:09It is corrupt
07:11Honestly
07:12If government will do that for us
07:14In fact
07:15More grace to be able
07:16I would love that
07:17Lighting body
07:18When they were
07:20At the place
07:21But
07:22The the
07:23The
07:24As the
07:25The
07:26We
07:27The
07:28The
07:29Vice
07:30The
07:31Vice
07:32the
07:33Of the
07:33Vice
07:35The
07:36Vice
07:37A century is a long time for any community to wait.
07:54Their story is not just about darkness, it's about neglect, resilience and hope that someday
08:01the power lines running past them will finally bring light.
08:06Until that day comes, this community remains a reminder of the unequal distribution of
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