Minister Demands Answers From AEDC, IBEDC, TCN Over Poor Electricity Supply
- The minister of power has called an emergency meeting with the heads of AEDC, IBEDC, and the TCN
- The meeting follows an outcry by residents of the coverage areas of the affected DisCos over poor electricity supply
- The minister noted that some distribution companies were deliberately not taking up power supply from TCN
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Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology and the stock market.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has called upon the Chief Executives of both the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to address the escalating power issues in their respective regions.
Additionally, he has requested a meeting with the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Alhaji Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez, to discuss the worsening power situation.
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Minister to scrutinise underperforming DisCos
According to a correspondence from Engineer B.U Mustapha, the Director of Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power, the CEOs of these DisCos have received invitations to a forthcoming meeting organised by the minister.
The purpose of this gathering is to deliberate on the challenges surrounding the deteriorating electricity provision in their respective regions and find sustainable solutions, The Nation reports.
In an earlier report, AEDC had blamed inadequate power allocation for the erratic power supply that Abuja has been experiencing.
Additionally, a statement attributed to Bolaji Tunji, the Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the minister, highlighted the minister's determination to scrutinise the management of other underperforming DisCos due to ongoing reports concerning their regions' electricity situations.
The statement read in part:
“These two DISCOs have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN.
“Gas shortage notwithstanding, the Ministry had been putting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to improve performance and generation has been ramped up to over 4000MW in recent days.
“So, we expect power supply to have improved across the country, unlike what we are experiencing in some regions, presently.
"Findings revealed that some distribution companies were deliberately not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines were also damaged by vandals in Abuja , Benin, Port-Hatcourt and Ibadan regions.”
The minister emphasised prioritising all DisCos to meet the expected performance standards.
He warned that deliberate underperformance by any DisCo could lead to severe penalties or revocation of their licenses.
Additionally, the minister instructed the TCN to promptly initiate repair efforts on the impaired transmission towers and power lines to enhance the electricity supply in the affected areas.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Adelabu urged the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to publicly disclose the names of individuals or entities who owe the company debts.
Speaking on the matter, Energy expert Lamide Onoloja told Legit.ng that the minister needs to critically examine the issues plaguing the sector and find solutions soon.
He said:
The DisCos, GenCos have lamented several challenges which affect their performances and delivery of services. This meeting could set the pace for the minister to meet with others as well to identify the problems and reach resolutions to permanently solve the challenges.
NERC fines 11 DisCos N10bn
In related news, Legit.ng reported that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has imposed a penalty of N10.5 billion on the 11 DisCos operating in the country.
NERC said this is due to their failure to adhere to the regulations concerning the capping of estimated bills for customers without meters.
The electricity regulatory agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its X page.
The development comes in the wake of the federal government's approval of an upward revision of electricity tariffs for consumers.
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Source: Legit.ng
