Energy
EKEDC assures customers of improved power supply
Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has reiterated its commitment toward improving power supply within its network operations.
The Chief Executive Officer, EKEDC, Dr Tinuade Sanda, gave the assurance during a customer consultative engagement forum in the Festac axis of Lagos State on Thursday.
Customers at the forum were drawn from Festac Town, Agboju, Satellite Town, Ijegun Imore and Snake Island.
Sanda, who was represented by the Chief Finance Officer, Mr Joseph Esenwa, explained that the ongoing low supply of electricity was due to inability to get sufficient energy from distribution companies.
She said that the quantum of energy made available to EKEDC by Gencos contributed to low supply within its network operations.
According to her, the company now gets 350 megawatts as against about 513 megawatts in the past.
“Water level is also a big challenge during dry season for hydro plants, this will be addressed once the disco gets sufficient supply.”
Sanda explained that the essence of the forum was to interact with customers within the company’s network on better ways to improve service delivery.
“Our mission in Eko DisCo is to improve the quality of lives of all customers by utilising cutting-edge technology to safely, sustainably and reliably supply electricity.
“That is what we stand for, and we will continue to promote this,” Sanda said.
She expressed confidence that Eko Disco was committed to economic and infrastructure development.
She said that the company was also committed to delivering safe, reliable and steady power supply to its customers.
She revealed that the EKEDC collection rate stood at an average of 84 per cent, indicating a positive trend in revenue generation.
She, therefore, urged customers to promptly settle their bills to ensure the company’s financial stability and encourage the company’s investment in infrastructure and service improvements.
She added that support from customers plays a significant role in influencing the performance of the DisCo and ensuring frequent power supply in the area.
Sanda also emphasised that while EKEDC had phased out most wooden poles, there were still areas difficult for officials to access due to the nature of the terrain and how some of the buildings are mapped.
She assured that underground cables within the Festac axis would be addressed once faults were detected.
On extortion and vandalism, Sanda appealed to customers to assist in the ongoing extortion crackdown, saying customers should only pay their bills.
She warned customers not to give bribes to any EKEDC worker, while urging them to report any form of extortion to the company.
She urged customers to take responsibility and report incidents of energy theft and vandalism in their communities to the Police and other relevant security operatives.
While expressing frustration over the capital expenditure that had gone into the replacement of distribution transformers and power infrastructure vandalised within a year under the network, Sanda charged customers to speak up and assist the company in reducing the cost.
She said, “When you see things happening in your environment, especially where people are stealing energy or transformers are being vandalised, endeavour to take responsibility.
“As a matter of fact, EKEDC recorded more than a hundred transformers that have been vandalised within our network, this year alone.
“The average cost of replacement for each is a million Naira or it can also be more depending on the size of the facility that was vandalised.
“We have, therefore, used the customer engagement forum to reecho the theme of our 2024 edition of Fraud Awareness Week which is, ‘If You See Something, Say Something,’ because we believe that even these criminals are domiciled within the communities.
“So, with proper surveillance and theft awareness, the leadership of the Community Development Committee, traditional leaders and other concerned customers can help us to reduce the activities of these criminals within their environment and reduce energy and equipment theft to lowest.”
Dr Akinrolabu Olukayode, Chairman of the Customer Consultative Forum of Festac/Satellite Town, commended the company on effective service delivery.
Olukayode urged the government to improve generating capacity through more investments in the power sector.
“We need to expand the generating infrastructure to meet expectations and demands.
“We can not be battling within 3, 500 megawatts to 5,000 megawatts in a population of over 200 million.
“The best way is for the government to bring in investors and experts into the energy sector and see how the threshold of power capacity can be improved.
“Government can now polarise the sector through vendors and those who can effectively distribute meters and allow investors,” he advised.
He also tasked customers to keep security of EKEDC equipment within their communities.
He also advised them to keep watch on those who bypass meters and engage in energy theft.
“It is the duty of the customers to work in partnership with the Disco to ensure that vandalisation, energy theft are reduced
“If the customers fail to do that, it will continue to affect the operations of Discos,” he added.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has announced that it has restored bulk power supply to its 60 megavolt-amperes transformer at Kukwaba 132/33-kilovolt transmission submission 24 hours after the facility was faulty.
Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs of TCN disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
The firm said the power supply was restored to the substation around 5:51 pm on Thursday.
Consequently, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company can now offtake bulk power for distribution to its customers in Galadimawa, Games Village, National Stadium, Sunny Vale, Kabusa Gardens, TSF Eye Clinic, AMMSCO Estate, Sun City, parts of Kabusa, Same Global, Durumi, American International School, Sabo Lugbe, TradeMore Estate, Pyakasa, Aleita/Chika and Ako Estate.
“TCN hereby announces the restoration of bulk power supply through its 60 MVA TRI transformer at Kukwaba 132/33kV Transmission Substation, on the 13th of June, 2024 at 5:51 pm.
“Recall that the transformer was opened on an emergency to trace and rectify the cause of sudden smoke from the transformer. This has since been rectified and the transformer restored to service,” TCN stated.
On Thursday power outage hit parts of Abuja over a faulty Kukwaba transmission substation.
The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria has stated that ethanol could be adopted as a biofuel to help Nigeria in reducing energy poverty and emissions.
According to MEMAN during a recent quarterly press webinar and engagement, about $7.4 billion could be saved annually by taking advantage of Nigeria’s ethanol resources as a biofuel to support petrol.
Ethanol is a biofuel that is commonly used as a substitute or additive to petrol in vehicles. It is typically produced through the fermentation of plant materials like cassava, corn, sugarcane, and others.
MEMAN noted that ethanol blended into biofuel as a transformative energy source has the potential to change Nigeria’s energy landscape and pave the way for a sustainable economy.
Experts, who spoke at the webinar, revealed that Nigeria had what it takes to exploit its ethanol to biofuel potential.
Presenting a paper titled ‘Ethanol as a Biofuel,’ a Senior Consultant with Africa Practice, Agwu Ojowu, pointed out that developing the ethanol industry could save the nation about $7.4bn ba year.
“Nigeria’s cassava production, standing at 63 million metric tonnes annually, represents 26 per cent of the global total. However, with 40 percent of this yield lost each year, there is a significant economic loss estimated at $7.4bn. Developing the ethanol industry could mitigate these losses, enhance economic stability, and capitalise on the depreciating currency to reduce costs,” Ojowu stated.
He emphasised that ethanol’s higher octane rating improves fuel quality and helps meet environmental standards by reducing sulphur content and greenhouse gas emissions.
Those attributes, he said, make ethanol a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to petrol, aligning with Nigeria’s climate commitments.
Going down memory lane, Ojowu recalled that Nigeria’s foray into ethanol began with the 2007 biofuels policy, which mandated a 10 percent ethanol blend in fuel.
“Despite initial challenges, including the suspension of the policy in 2008, because of blending inconsistencies, the potential of ethanol remains significant. Ethanol’s cost-effectiveness compared to petrol has historically led to economic arbitrage, suggesting that a well-regulated biofuel market could be economically advantageous,” he said.
Ojowu added that ethanol presents numerous benefits, including economic, environmental, and agricultural advantages, without necessitating vehicle modifications.
The Executive Secretary of MEMAN, Clement Isong, also emphasised the role of renewable energy in addressing Nigeria’s energy poverty.
He highlighted the importance of diverse energy sources, including biofuels, solar, hydroelectricity, and wind energy, to create a balanced and sustainable energy mix.
“MEMAN is committed to engaging with industry stakeholders to advocate for energy solutions that meet Nigeria’s needs,” Isong said.
He expressed optimism about the future of renewable energy in Nigeria and the continued efforts to enhance press engagement and industry collaboration.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, (AEDC) has disclosed it has added 45 new feeders to the Band A category of customers who would enjoy a minimum of 20 hours of electricity as stipulated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The new feeders are majorly in the Asokoro, Wuye, Garki, Suleja, Apo and other areas of the capital city. This was disclosed by the Disco on their official X (formerly Twitter) page where it described the feeder location and specific areas served by the feeder.
Other areas where feeders were upgraded to band A include; Suleja, Garki Area II, Wuse, Anyigba, Mpape, Jabi, Gwagwalada, Gwarimpa etc.
The DisCo noted that the upgrade to band A for the affected feeder location is effective from June 1, 2024. Similar upgrades across other DisCos
In April, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced a more than 200 percent increase in electricity tariffs for Band A customers.
This move is part of efforts to eliminate electricity subsidies and implement a cost-reflective tariff system in the power sector.
Abuja Disco’s addition of new feeders to Band A is in line with similar actions by other distribution companies like Eko and Ikeja DisCos following the tariff hike.
Band A customers are on specific feeders that receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily. According to NERC, these customers account for approximately 17 percent of all electricity users in the country.
The decision to raise electricity tariffs for Band A customers has sparked public outrage, particularly among trade and labour unions nationwide.
Organised labour members have protested the increase, while the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has advised its members not to pay the new tariff, claiming they were not consulted.
MAN has instructed its members to continue paying the old rate of N66/kWh. The various electricity distribution companies have vowed to disconnect customers who fail to pay the new tariff under their band.
The group has also filed a petition with NERC regarding the tariff hike, which is currently awaiting resolution.
Furthermore, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) comprising all chambers of commerce and trade associations across the country had warned that the new tariff could lead to the shutdown of 65 percent of businesses across the country. The group stated that the over 200 percent hike in electricity tariff to N220/KWh then made Nigeria’s power cost the highest in the world. It warned that the hike could exacerbate the economic situation in the country and push more people into unemployment and poverty.
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