Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) have attributed the increasing number of hours without power supply to homes and businesses across the country to low supply from generation companies.
The operators cited the lack of adequate gas supply to power plants as the primary reason for the reduced power generation.
Despite claims of low power generation, grid data posted by the National System Operator (NSO), a unit within TCN, revealed that grid supply had averaged over 4,000 megawatts in the past seven days. The data showed consistent average grid supply, ranging from 3,991.7MW to 4,191MW during this period.
Additionally, 21 of the nation’s 25 power plants were active on the grid as of the latest report, with key plants like Azura IPP, Delta Power, and Kainji Hydro generating over 400MW each.
However, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) also pointed to other factors contributing to the power rationing within its franchise area. IBEDC highlighted vandalism of electricity assets and scheduled maintenance by TCN as significant challenges affecting power distribution in its operational areas.
The company emphasized the impact of low gas supply to generating companies, leading to a decrease in available generation and hindering their ability to provide power to customers. Scheduled maintenance activities by TCN further compounded the situation, as necessary outages affected specific areas within IBEDC’s network.
Moreover, IBEDC highlighted the issue of vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure, which severely disrupts power supply. The company cited instances of vandalism in Ogun State, resulting in prolonged outages for customers, and noted an alarming increase in vandalism incidents in 2024.
On the other hand, TCN absolved itself of blame, stating that despite an attack on one of its lines supplying power to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it retained the capacity to deliver the allocated power to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
In conclusion, while low generation and vandalism pose significant challenges to power supply, efforts by both DisCos and TCN are essential to address these issues and ensure reliable electricity distribution across Nigeria.
