Electricity - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Ismail Abdulaziz
May, Wed, 2025

Kaduna electricity assures Kebbi of power restoration

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By Muhammad Lawal

Dr Umar Abubakar-Hashidu, Managing Director, Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KEDCO), has assured electricity consumers in Kebbi that normal power supply would be restored to the area this week.

Abubakar-Hashidu made the disclosure while interacting with Journalists shortly after a closed door meeting with Gov. Nasir Idris of Kebbi at Government House, Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.

The MD attributed the current epileptic power supply to destruction of three towers on 330 KV line from Kanji to Birnin Kebbi to Niger Republic.

He, however, said that work on the affected towers had reached advanced stage, assuring that engineers alongside other technical personnel have gone far in fixing the problem.

“Measures is being taken by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited and KEDCO to ensure that power is restored to affected areas,” he said.

Giving the background of the power outage in the state, Abubakar-Hashidu recalled that about three weeks ago there was collapse of three towers on the 330 KV Birnin Kebbi transmission line.

“That means bulk power cannot be sent from Kanji to Birnin Kebbi, this affects power supply not only to Birnin Kebbi and Sokoto but also to Niger Republic and other neighbouring countries.

“The 330 KV line is manned and operated by TCN, they supply bulk power to us for onward distribution to our customers.

“Upon that happening, a decision was taken to back feed Sokoto, Kebbi and Talatan Mafara through the 132 KV through Zaria-Funtua coming up to Talatan Mafara, Sokoto down to Kebbi,” he said.

The MD, however, confirmed that the voltage was very low due to the distance from Kebbi to Zaria, adding that Zaria was being fed from Enugu through Benue to Jos to Zaria.

“I am happy to give the good news that by this weekend the 330 KV line will be back. Energy and bulk power will be restored to Birnin Kebbi, Argungu and Yauri.

“All the four transmission stations within this axis that are power dedicated to KV line will have power and all these issues of low voltage will be over,” Abubakar-Hashidu assured. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

FG to receive first batch of 3.2m meters in April

Lydia Beshel
Apr, Mon, 2025

Economy/Business

FG to receive first batch of 3.2m meters in April

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Meters

By Constance Athekame

The Federal Government says it is set to receive the first batch of 3.205 million meters in April, procured to bridge the metering gap in the country.

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, said this in a statement by his Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr Bolaji Tunji in Abuja on Sunday.

Adelabu said that 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) were also expected by the end of April.

According to the minister the second batch of 200,000 meters will also be received in May.

He said that the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) was set to deliver the 3.2 million meters by 2026.

“This will be achieved through different procurement models, including 1.437 million meters through International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1).

”There is another 217,600 meters through National Competitive Bid (NCB), and 1.550 million meters through International Competitive Bid 2 (ICB2), ” Adelabu said. .

According to him, as part of this plan, the first batch of 75,000 meters under ICB1 is expected by April, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in May.

”In addition to the DISREP, the N700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is another key intervention designed to accelerate metering,”he said.

The minister said that the PMI, which had already secured N700 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), was structured to ensure large-scale meter procurement and deployment.

He said that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) had been established to oversee the implementation of the initiative.

”While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story; one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by the Federal Government to close the metering gap.

”Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been progressing steadily.

”As at Dec.2024, a total of 5.502 million customers had been metered, representing about 55 percent of the 10.114 million active electricity customers in the country,”he said.

He said that In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed.

According to him, though installation rates have varied over the years, the sector maintains a yearly average of about 668,000 meters installed.

He said that structured financing and government-backed initiatives were expected to accelerate deployment beyond the current pace, ensuring that the metering gap is addressed efficiently.

He said that to bridge the meeting gap, the government had put in place key initiatives aimed at significantly improving metering across the country.

“The government had set a target of deploying two million meters annually for five years, with the first batch of two million meters expected to be released by the third quarter of this year.

”These structured interventions provide a clear roadmap for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner”.

“While the metering gap remains a concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading,” he said.

He said that with the ongoing DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering landscape was set to experience significant improvement before the end of the year.

”The focus should be on the execution of these well-structured plans rather than a blanket critique that overlooks the real progress being made,”he said.(NAN)(www.nannews ng)

Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Kadiri Abdulrahman

FG restates commitment to delivering stable, reliable electricity supply

Lydia Beshel
Mar, Wed, 2025

Economy/Business

FG restates commitment to delivering stable, reliable electricity supply

338 total views today

Electricity

By Constance Athekame

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering stable and reliable electricity to Nigerians.

Mr Bolaji Tunji, the Special Adviser on Strategic Communication to the minister of power, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to him, the commitment of the Federal Government is evident in the recent achievements recorded in the sector.

He said that the sector had recorded unprecedented milestones in power generation, evacuation, and daily energy output, signaling a new era of progress and development.

According to him, Nigeria achieved a record available power generation of 6,003 megawatts (MW), the highest in the nation’s history.

“This is followed by another landmark within the period when the country recorded a peak generation evacuation of 5,801.84 MW and a daily maximum energy output of 128,370.75 Megawatt-hours (MWh).

”These achievements represent a significant leap forward in the sector’s capacity to meet the growing energy demands in the country, and on-going reforms in the power sector.

“The achievements demonstrates the avowed commitment of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to ensure regular electricity supply in order to galvanise the nation’s economy, ‘’ he said.

“The record available generation of 6,003 MW, the peak evacuation of 5,801.84 MW, and the daily maximum energy output of 128,370.75 MWh are testaments to the hard work, dedication, and strategic reforms being implemented by minister of power.’’

He said: “the achievements are not just numbers; they represent a brighter future for Nigeria, where businesses can thrive, households can enjoy uninterrupted power supply, and the economy can grow sustainably.

”We pray for the sustainability of these landmark records and look forward to further improvements on all parameters in the coming days, ‘’he said.

Tunji said that the recent milestones were the result of concerted efforts by the ministry of power, in collaboration with key stakeholders in the sector to address longstanding challenges and optimise the nation’s power infrastructure.

He listed the efforts to include rehabilitation and upgrading of transmission and distribution networks, the implementation of innovative technologies, and the introduction of policy reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency and accountability.

According to him, the minister has been at the forefront of these initiatives, driving a comprehensive agenda to transform the sector and ensure that Nigeria achieves its full potential in power generation and distribution.

Tunji said that his leadership had been instrumental in fostering collaboration between government agencies, private sector players, and international partners, creating an enabling environment for growth and innovation.

`One of the key factors contributing to the recent achievements is the electricity tariff review which has ensured liquidity in the sector and created a more sustainable and investment-friendly environment for the power sector,’’ he said.

“By ensuring that tariff reflect the true cost of power generation and distribution, the government is paving the way for increased private sector participation and the mobilisation of much-needed capital for infrastructure development..

Tunji quoted the minister as saying: “the regularisation of tariff will play a critical role in unlocking the sector’s full potential and driving further improvements in power generation and distribution’’.

“By the time the tariffs are fully regularised, we will be moving closer to 7,000 MW of available generation capacity.

“This will mark another significant milestone in our journey towards a stable, reliable, and efficient power sector that meets the needs of all Nigerians.” (NAN)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

Imo electricity commission inaugurates forum on customer complaints

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jan, Sat, 2025

General News

Imo electricity commission inaugurates forum on customer complaints

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By Peter Okolie

The Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) has inaugurated a five-member forum to resolve customer complaints and appeals from Electricity Distribution Companies (EDC) in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum was set up, following the transfer of electricity market and regulatory function from the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to ISERC in 2024.

In a speech at the inauguration of the forum, the Chairman of ISERC, Mr Bede Opara, said that the members were re-engaged from NERC Forum.

“The governor of Imo state, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, is optimistic about electricity situation in the state, and wants to generate a lot of jobs for the people.

“He wants the people to have electricity that is affordable and sustainable,” he said.

Opara also said that the governor had already secured partners that were already investing in the electricity sector in the state.

According to him, the governor is aware that many electricity consumers are not comfortable with the level of electricity supply and it is affecting businesses and standard of living.

“There is no way the commission will do well if we don’t listen and resolve complaints from the people,” he said.

Opara urged members of the forum to utilise their experience in Alternative Dispute Resolution to ensure the protection of the rights of both electricity consumers and suppliers.

He expressed the confidence that the forum would provide the needed feedback to assess performance in the electricity sector of the state.

In an acceptance speech, the Chairman of ISERC Forum, Mr Prince Uchegbu, pledged to carry out the objectives and aim of the forum.

“We assure you that the forum will ensure that electricity consumers give positive remarks about services in the state through our dedicated services of ensuring fair and just resolution of complaints,” Uchegbu said.

He urged consumers to put up their complaints to EDC.

“Once such complaint is laid to the electricity supplier, the distribution company is reasonably expected to resolve the matter within 15 working days.

“Failure on the part of the DisCo to resolve the issue being complained about, the customer now has the right to approach ISERC Forum for possible resolution,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sam Oditah

TCN confirms power restoration to 7 states in Northern region

Tosin Kolade
Oct, Thu, 2024

Economy/Business

TCN confirms power restoration to 7 states in Northern region

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By Constance Athekame

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed that bulk power supply has been restored to parts of northern Nigeria after weeks of blackout.

The company successfully restored supply through its 330-kilovolt (kV) Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line I as of 4:56 p.m. on Wednesday.

The TCN made this known in a statement issued by Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’S General Manager Public Affairs, in Abuja on Thursday.

The company said that power supply was restored to Lafia, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe States following the completion of repairs on the vandalised section of the Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line.

She said that with the restoration of the line, the Apir-Lafia 330kV transmission line 2 was now operational and also bulk power transmission had been restored to the states.

”As restoration efforts continue, with the TCN engineering team preparing to commence work on the second 330kV transmission line. All necessary materials for the repairs are on hand.

”Work will begin as soon as the site is secured for the safety of TCN’s personnel to the affected sections of the vandalised 330kV transmission line II.

”In the meantime, teams of linesmen will re-patrol the 330kV line II to ensure that no other sections are impacted as the repair works progress,”she said.

TCN said it appreciates the patience and understanding from those affected as its engineers work diligently to restore the 330kV transmission line II.

TCN also recognises the importance of electricity in Nigerians daily lives and is committed to ensuring that this line is repaired swiftly, thereby increasing the bulk power to the affected areas by the incident.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza