Yola DisCo Rolls Out Free Prepaid Meters to Band A Customers

The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has started distributing 1,880 prepaid meters to its Band A customers as part of the Meter Asset Funds (MAF) Scheme.  This initiative follows the removal of electricity subsidies for Band A customers in April and aims to ensure fair billing and enhance customer service. Under the scheme, YEDC will install 1,500 single-phase and 380 three-phase meters at no cost to the customers.  The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved the project, which will take place from November 18 to November 30, 2024. The installation will be carried out by approved vendors. The MAF project, part of the broader Presidential Metering Initiative launched earlier in 2024, is designed to speed up the nationwide rollout of meters.  YEDC encouraged all Band A customers to cooperate with the installers to ensure a smooth process. The company remains committed to providing transparent, reliable electricity services to all its customers.

Buhari’s Minister Of Power, Sale Mamman Collapses In Court

The trial of Saleh Mamman, who served as the Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was postponed on Thursday after he fainted just outside the Federal High Court in Abuja. Mamman, who was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday morning for his trial, fainted before the proceedings began. The lawyer for Mamman, Femi Ate, SAN, informed Justice James Omotosho right after the trial was announced that Mamman needed to take his plea. When the trial resumed, the former minister entered the courtroom and took his place on the dock, with some of his clothing already soaked. Justice Omotosho then inquired about Mamman’s condition, asking if he was overheating or if it was raining outside. Mamman, from his position on the dock, replied that he had been drenched with water. The lawyer for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, while speaking in court, mentioned that the trial for Mamman had been scheduled, but there was an unexpected incident outside the courtroom. Olumide-Fusika explained that he had a conversation with Ate outside the courtroom regarding Mamman’s health issues. “I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learned senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” he said. Addressing journalists on Thursday morning, Ate said Mamman, “Upon being brought into the premises of the court, he collapsed and had to be resuscitated and treated by the medical personnel of the Federal High Court.” Ate stressed that his client (Mamman), was served with the charge after he was resuscitated. “He was served this morning,” he added. The senior lawyer requested a delay in proceedings from Olumide-Fusika to ensure the arraignment could take place on Monday, when his client would be in a better state. However, the judge informed them that the court was so busy with cases that the arraignment could only be rescheduled for the end of September. Following this, Olumide-Fusika decided to cancel the request for a delay. Olumide-Fusika mentioned that he had corrected a typo in the defendant’s name earlier that morning and asked the court to inform Mamman of the updated charge, hoping he would give his plea. However, Justice Omotosho opposed this request. The judge then inquired if Mamman was capable of giving his plea today, to which he replied in the affirmative. The former minister explained to the court that he fainted outside the courtroom due to not eating and the effects of the drugs he had taken. While waiting outside, his blood pressure dropped. Mamman, on the other hand, stated that he was in good health and ready to proceed with the arraignment. “It can happen to anyone,” the judge said. The former minister stated to the judge that he notified his attorney about the mistake the EFCC made regarding the name included in the arrest warrant they presented to him. “I was complaining about the name, that it was not my own,” he said. However, Justice Omotosho then stepped down the arraignment until 1 pm today.

Ikeja Electric slashes tariff for Band A customers

Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IE) Monday, revealed that it has reduced it’s electricity tariff for customers under Band A from N225/kWh to N206.80/kWh. This was made known through a circular by the management of the company on its “X”(Formerly Twitter) page on Monday. Specifically, it said the customers will now pay N206.80/kwh as against the N225/kwh ordered by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). According to the statement, IE guaranteed to provide 20 to 24 hours of electricity to users under this Band, adding that the tariff for customers under other categories will remain the same. It said: “Dear Esteemed Customers, Please be informed of the downward tariff review of our Band A feeders from N225/kwh to N206.80/kwh effective 6th May 2024 with guaranteed availability of 20-24hrs supply daily. “The tariff for Bands B, C, D, and E remains unchanged.”

TCN Transfers Market and System Functions to Newly Established Entity

In a bid to revitalize Nigeria’s power sector, President Bola Tinubu, in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has introduced sweeping reforms by unveiling the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (NISO). This significant restructuring marks a pivotal moment for the country’s energy landscape. The decision was formalized through an official order signed by TCN’s Chairman, Mr. Sanusi Garba, and Vice Chairman, Mr. Muslim Oseni, in Abuja on Saturday. Under the directives outlined in the order, TCN will undergo a comprehensive transfer of all market and system operation functions to the newly established NISO. This realignment of responsibilities is in accordance with the stipulations set forth in the Electricity Act 2023, aimed at providing a more streamlined approach to the management of Nigeria’s power infrastructure. Previously, TCN held critical licenses, including Transmission Service Provider (TSP) and System Operations (SO) licenses issued by NERC. With the inception of NISO, TCN will divest its market and system operation assets and liabilities to the newly formed entity, allowing for a sharper focus on its core transmission functions. To facilitate this transition, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has been tasked with overseeing the incorporation of a private company limited by shares under the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) by May 31. This entity, named the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (NISO), will assume full responsibility for market and system operation functions as outlined in the Electricity Act and TCN’s system operation license. NISO’s mandate encompasses the efficient management of assets and liabilities associated with market and system operations on behalf of market participants and consumer groups. Furthermore, the newly established ISO will play a crucial role in negotiating contracts for ancillary services with independent power producers and generation licensees, ensuring the stability and reliability of Nigeria’s national grid.

There Will Be Total Blackout For The Next Three Months If You Reject New Policy – Minister of Power Warns Senate

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has warned that there will be a total blackout in Nigeria in the next three months if the proposed electricity tariff hike is not implemented. The minister stated this yesterday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Power at an investigative hearing over the recent electricity tariff hike by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). This is after the Senate committee, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, rejected the new tariff regime. Adelabu warned that the entire sector would be grounded if the Commission fails to increase the tariff. Adelabu said, “The entire sector will be grounded if we don’t increase the tariff. With what we have now in the next three months, the entire country will be in darkness if we don’t increase tariffs. “The increment will catapult us to the next level. We are also Nigerians. We are also feeling the impact.” He said $10 billion yearly for the next ten years is needed to revive the nation’s power sector and nip in the bud the challenges bedevilling it. “For this sector to be revived, the government needs to spend nothing less than 10 billion dollars annually in the next 10 years. “This is because of the infrastructure requirement for the stability of the sector. But the government can not afford that. And so we must make this sector attractive to investors and to lenders. “So, for us to attract investors and investment, we must make the sector attractive, and the only way it can be made attractive is that there must be commercial pricing. “If the value is still at N66 and the government is not paying subsidy, the investors will not come. But now that we have increased the tariff for A Band, there are interests being shown by investors,” he said.

FG begins unbundling of DISCOS

The Federal Government has announced the unbundling of power distribution companies in Nigeria along state lines. This is due to their large sizes which often result in inefficiency and ineffectiveness. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu stated this on Monday when he received the Senate Committee on Power, led by their Chairman, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe. Adelabu said the Tinubu-led administration had commenced the restructuring of Nigeria’s 11 power distribution companies. According to him, the privatisation of the firms would not be reversed but stressed that the Discos would be broken into more efficient structures The Nigerian government has also ordered the sale of Discos that have been taken over by banks and the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria from its original investors/owners. The likes of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC; Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC; Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, KEDC; and Kano Electricity Distribution Company are all being managed by banks and AMCON. AEDC is under the management of UBA, and Fidelity Bank manages BEDC, KEDC and Kano Electricity Distribution Company. AMCON is in charge of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company. This is due to their inability to repay their loans to the financial institutions. The Senate Committee on Power said the distribution companies have failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians since they took over the privatised assets over 10 years ago. The Minister further revealed that over 100 projects of the Transmission Company of Nigeria have not been completed since 2001, a period of about 23 years. “We are unbundling the Discos along state lines. Some of the Discos are too big for efficiency. They are too big for effectiveness. Ibadan Disco covers seven states. It is practically impossible for them to be efficient,” he said. “So we are rearranging and restructuring the Discos along state lines so that each state government will know the responsible Disco for their states. “Also, the federal and state governments should start exercising their rights in the operation and management of the Discos because we still own 40 per cent in the firms. “But we have left it for the private sector operators for too long and they have messed it up. So the government must come back to take over its own right in the Discos. We are also planning to franchise the unserved communities under the Discos.” The minister went ahead to state that “we will start seeing regulations about franchising. The fact you are Eko Disco doesn’t mean that you cannot have smaller Discos that are ready to invest in your unserved communities. So we are looking at franchising.”

Rainstorm Plunges 40 Ogun Communities Into Darkness

Forty communities in Ogun State have been plunged into darkness following a rainstorm on Sunday.  The downpour which began around midday, destroyed electricity facilities in some parts of the state, leading to a blackout. “Due to broken poles occasioned by the heavy downpour at Ota and Mowe, customers in the following communities: lyana lyesi, Osuke Town, Egan Road, lyana Ilogbo, Ijaba, Ijagba, Itele, Lafenwa, Singer, Joju, Alishiba, Oju Ore, Tollgate, Eledi, Akeja, Abebi, Osi Round About, Ota Town, Ota Industrial Estate, Igberen, lju, Atan, Onipanu, Obasanjo, Lusada, Arigba, Odugbe, Ado-Odo, Igbesa, Owode,” the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) said in a statement late Sunday. “Olokuta, Hanushi, Bamtish Camp Lufiwape, Eltees Farm, August Engineering, Spark Cear Soap Ayetoro, Amazing Grace Oil, Christopher University, Royal Garden Estate, Pentagon Estate, and environs are experiencing power outages”. It called on residents of the areas to avoid “contact with the broken poles, saggy wires or any other electrical installation affected by the rain”. “Our technical team is working to clear and replace the broken poles and installations to ensure power supply is restored as soon as possible,” IBEDC said.

Obasanjo’s farm, 27 feeders downgraded from Band A to E after FG increased electricity tariff 

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, has made public the names of erstwhile Band A feeders downgraded to B, C D, or E. The Farm Feeder serving the Obasanjo Farm, owned by Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was downgraded from Band A to Band E in the list released by the IBEDC on Saturday, April 6. About 28 feeders under the IBEDC were downgraded in Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, and Osun States. In the list, some areas dropped from 20 hours of daily power supply to zero hours. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has said this brought about the removal of those feeders from Band A to the band that fits their daily power allocation. Announcing the April 2024 supplementary Multi-Year Tariff Order on Wednesday, April 3, the Federal Government said it would no longer pay subsidy on electricity consumed by Band A customers, saying others would continue to pay the old rates. Band A customers, who were said to be enjoying electricity for a minimum of 20 hours per day now pay N225 kilowatt per hour. Here is the list of IBEDC Band A downgraded feeders: 1. IBADAN: Bank Road 11kv Feeder – Magazine Road, Oba Adebimpe Road, Oke Bola (Now in Band B with 16 hours supply) 2. OGUN: GTB 11kv Feeder: Only GTBank Training School, Oke Ilewo Abeokuta ( Now in Band B with 19 hours power supply) 3. KWARA: Seminary 11kv Feeder: From High-school Area to Seminary, Randa area, Olomi area, Bowen Area, Takie Junction, Apake area, Star- Light area, Sabo area, Orita Naira Junction and Terminated at Bode-Eniafe Street (Downgraded to Band B with 16 hours power supply) 4. IBADAN: Ami 11KV Feeder: Onireke, Jericho, Railway Quarters (Downgraded to Band C with 12 hours power supply) 5. KWARA: Asa 11KV Feeder: Asa Dam, Ilorin (Downgraded to Band C with 14 hours power supply) 6. OGUN: Homan 11kv Feeder: Daraju, Eagle Packages and NYCIL (Downgraded to Band C with 14 hours power supply) 7. OGUN: Rite Food Quarters 11kv Feeder: Rite Food Quarters (Downgraded to Band C with 12 hours power supply) 8. KWARA: Senior Staff Qtrs F20 11kv Feeder: Senior Camp Road (Downgraded to Band C with 15 hours power supply) 9. KWARA: SF2 New Bussa 11kv Feeder: Ibadan Way, Wawa Garage Road (Downgraded to Band C with 12 hours power supply) 10. IBADAN: State House 11kv Feeder: Ikolaba, Kuye, Road 214, Oniκοκο (Downgraded to Band C with 14 hours power supply) 11. KWARA: Yidi 11kv Feeder: Asa Dam Road, Irewolede Road, High Merit Road (Downgraded to Band C with 14 hours power supply) 12. IBADAN: Dugbe Awolowo 11kv Feeder: Old Bodija, Sango, and Veterinary (Downgraded to Band D with 11 hours power supply) 13. KWARA: Government House 11kv Feeder: Agba Dam Road, Umaru Audi Road, Adelodun Road, Abdulkadir Road, Saad Alamu Street, Offa Road, Flower Garden, Idiagbon Street, Sayomi Street 2nd Avenue Street (Downgraded to Band D with 9 hours power supply) 14. IBADAN: ONIREKE 11KV FEEDER: Link Reservation, Joe Berchort, Oba Akensua (Downgraded to Band D with 10 hours power supply) 15. IBADAN: Oremeji 11kv Feeder: Oba Akinbiyi, Uncle Joe, Letmauk Barracks Road (Downgraded to Band D with 8 hours power supply) 16. IBADAN: Anfani 11KV Feeder: Anfani Road, Ibadan (Downgraded to Band E with 5 hours power supply) 17. KWARA: Basin 11kv Feeder: Umaru Audi Road, Fate Road, Fate Tanke Road, Gra Ilorin, Gss Ilorin, Mubo Strrt, Agric Estate, Sango Road, Alhaji Tunde Mohammed Road, Panat, Station Road, Catchment Road (Downgraded to Band E with 7 hours power supply) 18. Oyo: Crown 11KV Feeder: Premier Rd, Oshuntokun, Adeyi, Awolowo Road (Downgraded to Band E with 1-hour power supply) 19. OGUN: Farm 11KV Feeder: Main Obasanjo Farm (Downgraded to Band E with 7-hour power supply) 20. OSUN: Gbongan Road 11kv Feeder: Gbongan-Ibadan Road (Downgraded to Band E with 0-hour power supply)

Blackout Hits Parts Of Nigeria As Power Stations Collapse

Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Kogi State, are currently experiencing power outages due to the collapse of a power station. The two areas earlier mentioned are under the coverage of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). On Tuesday, the AEDC informed its customers in Zamani Estate, Abacha Road Mararaba, Ruga Juli and other parts of Abuja that a technical fault on 33kv feeder k6 from AT9 Karu Transmission Station was responsible for the power outage. “The management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc wishes to notify its esteemed customers that there is currently a technical fault on 33kv feeder k6 from AT9 Karu Transmission Station, managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria. “The areas affected in Abuja are: Zamani Estate, Abacha Road Mararaba, Ruga Juli, Old Karu Road, Glory Estate, and environs,” the Disco said in a statement. The AEDC disclosed that the TCN maintenance crew was working to ensure the supply of electricity to these areas was restored soon, regretting any inconvenience caused. Earlier, the TCN had announced its maintenance crew would carry out planned maintenance on its TR3 45MVA and TR2 60MVA power transformers in its 132/33kV Okene Transmission Substation. The maintenance was scheduled to run from Tuesday to Wednesday, from 10 am to 03pm on each day.

Why FG may Revoke DisCos Licences – Power Minister

The federal government has threatened tough sanctions, including licence revocation, against Distribution companies over epileptic power supply and ‘wilful non-performance’.  It also said Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) are to be held accountable henceforth for poor power supply in the country.  Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu issued the threat in a statement, describing as “disheartening” the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation. He noted that his Ministry has been exerting pressure on the GenCos to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW. “Moving forward, I’m committed to holding all distribution companies accountable for their performance. “Wilful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including licence revocation, may be imposed,” the minister said in a statement. Expressing concern over erratic electricity supply, Adelabu has summoned the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The supply of electricity has dipped across the country in the last three months, due to many reasons, including lack of adequate gas supply, grid breakdown, low supply from Generating Companies (GenCos), the inability of DisCos to wheel supply from GenCos and sabotage.  The minister also expressed concern over the poor performance of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). Adelabu, who tweeted on his X handle, reiterated the reasons for summoning the AEDC and IBEDC chief executives and the TCN Managing Director. He gave the reason as an attempt to find a plausible solution to the power supply in their zones. “Despite this progress”, the minister said, “certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan. “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions.” The minister threatened to henceforth hold the DisCos accountable for their performance. He said: “Willful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including license revocation, may be imposed. “Additionally, I have instructed TCN to prioritise repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in affected regions.” Adelabu recalled that during recent supervisory visits to power-generating plants, he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the sector. He spoke of plans to settle outstanding debts to power generation and gas supply companies, which will alleviate the financial strain and contribute to improved generation levels nationwide. Pleading with consumers for understanding, Adelabu said he and his team had been making frantic efforts to tackle the challenges. “I urge electricity consumers to remain patient as we work tirelessly to address these issues and provide better service to all Nigerians,” he said. It was gathered that the payment of $120 million out of the $1.3 trillion owed to the gas suppliers has unsettled the GenCos. The GenCos are said to be meeting to press for the payment of their outstanding debts. A source from the GenCos, who was privy to the meeting, said: “Since the Federal Government has made $120 million payment to the gas suppliers as part of their debt, we are also meeting to ask the same government to settle us, the GenCos.” Adelabu’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, confirmed the scheduled meeting with the TCN and DisCos.