The FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FPEDL) has clarified the recent sharp drop in electricity supply being experienced across communities in Anambra State, describing it as a result of nationwide generation challenges that hit and affected the entire Nigerian power sector, rather than an operational failure by the distribution company.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday by the company’s Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor, in which he explained that electricity distribution companies operate only at the final stage of the electricity value chain and do not generate power or determine how much electricity is transmitted to any state.
The FirstPower Head of Communications detailed how Nigeria’s electricity system functions through three major segments — generation, transmission and distribution, emphasizing that electricity is produced by Generation Companies (GenCos), transmitted nationwide through infrastructure managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and finally distributed to consumers by distribution companies, such as FirstPower.
According to him, the electricity distributed in Anambra is generated elsewhere in the country and transmitted through the national grid before reaching the interface stations that supply the state. Consequently, he explained that whenever national electricity generation declines, the amount allocated to every distribution company across Nigeria automatically drops.
Relating the process to the situation on ground, Okafor revealed that Nigeria has recently been experiencing a major reduction in electricity generation due to a severe shortage of natural gas supply to thermal power plants, which produce the bulk of electricity on Nigeria’s national grid.
The situation, he explained, was worsened following the disruption caused by an explosion on the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline in December last year, an incident that affected the operations of several gas-fired power plants. He said although the pipeline was later repaired, the sector has continued to grapple with lingering gas supply challenges and financial constraints affecting the generation companies.
The FirstPower Head of Communications further explained that the problem has also been compounded by the huge debts owed to generation companies within the electricity market. He said according to reports, the liabilities currently run into over ₦6 trillion, a situation that has significantly weakened the ability of power producers to procure adequate gas required to operate their power plants optimally.
“As we may know, the recently-triggered and ongoing Israel/US—Iran War has also caused immediate scarcity of and spike in prices of petroleum products, further complicating the issue in the Nigeria’s energy sector,” he added.
According to him, because thermal plants rely heavily on natural gas to generate electricity, the shortage has forced several generating units to shut down or operate below their installed capacity, as reports from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) show that thermal power plants currently receive less than half of the gas required for optimal operations.
Citing an instance of the reality, Okafor said while thermal plants require about 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to function efficiently, only about 652.92 million standard cubic feet have been available in recent times, which he described as a severe shortfall that has significantly reduced the amount of electricity being produced nationwide.
Citing more figures, he said in February this year, available generation on the national grid dropped to around 4,300 megawatts, far below Nigeria’s estimated demand; adding that the situation was further aggravated by the shutdown of additional generating units, which removed about 292 megawatts from the grid.
Okafor said as a result of the reduced generation, national grid operators have been compelled to implement load shedding across the country in order to maintain system stability and prevent a total collapse of the grid.
FirstPower explained that this nationwide reduction has had a direct impact on electricity allocation to Anambra State.
Bringing the situation down to Anambra, the Head Communications explained power supply to the state comes through four major transmission interface stations — Awada, GCM, Agu-Awka and Nibo — all of which receive electricity transmitted through the infrastructure of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
According to him, before the current national generation constraints, the combined average daily allocation to these interface stations was about 164.66 megawatts. However, with the present generation shortfall, the total allocation has dropped drastically to approximately 74.13 megawatts.
This, he said, represents a shortfall of more than 90 megawatts, meaning that more than half of the electricity previously supplied to the state is presently unavailable.
FirstPower explained that such a drastic reduction makes it impossible for distribution companies to maintain the same level of supply that customers previously enjoyed when the national generation was higher.
To manage the limited electricity available, the company said it had to introduce a load management system across feeders in the state, under which supply is rationed across communities at different times of the day.
He said under this arrangement, some areas receive electricity in the morning, others in the afternoon, while some are supplied during night periods; adding that the rotation is periodically adjusted to ensure fairness and to prevent overloading of distribution infrastructure, among other reasons.
The company noted that such load management is necessary to prevent a complete shutdown of the system, which could plunge the entire state into darkness simultaneously.
Beyond supply challenges, FirstPower Disco also addressed concerns relating to electricity metering in the state.
According to the company, meter penetration in Anambra currently stands between 40 and 45 percent. Okafor said to bridge metering gap, the Federal Government introduced the National Mass Metering Programme under the supervision of the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide free prepaid meters to customers through distribution companies.
He said under this programme, FirstPower received about 5,960 meters, which it distributed within its operational areas covering Awka, Obosi and Onitsha feeders. Okafor added that the company expects about 90,000 additional free meters in the next phase of the exercise.
He further revealed that in the meantime, FirstPower has established a meter lab in Onitsha to improve meter availability and ensure closer service delivery to customers in the state. He said that prior to the establishment of the facility, such metering services for the region were handled from Enugu State. However, the creation of the new meter lab in Anambra, he said, was one of the first operational steps taken following the licensing of FirstPower as a distribution company.
According to him, the facility currently has the capacity to produce about 2,500 meters daily, while the company also currently more than 5,000 prepaid meters in stock for customers who wish to purchase them immediately.
The company explained that meters purchased by customers are delivered and installed within ten working days after payment, while the cost is refunded through energy credits spread over a 36-month period.
FirstPower also addressed billing concerns raised by customers, explaining that irregular electricity supply often leads to sudden spikes in electricity usage whenever power is restored, as households and businesses tend to switch on several appliances simultaneously.
Such sudden demand, the company explained, can result in rapid consumption of available electricity and higher meter readings.
The company also warned that illegal connections, energy theft and meter bypass significantly affect transformer readings and may ultimately impact the bills shared among legitimate paying customers within affected communities.
Customers were therefore encouraged to report such illegal practices through the company’s whistleblowing line (08161652465) to protect the integrity of the power system and ensure fairness in billing.
Regarding reports of planned protests over the current electricity situation, FirstPower Management acknowledged people’s constitutional rights to protest, but, however appealed to residents to understand that the present shortage is fundamentally a national generation issue beyond the operational control of distribution companies.
The company stressed that such protests directed at distribution companies may not yield the desired results, since the root causes of the electricity shortage lie at the generation and gas supply stages of the electricity value chain, beyond the control of the distribution company.
FirstPower further reassured customers across Anambra State of its continued commitment to transparency, fair billing, regulatory compliance and improved customer engagement; adding that once national electricity generation improves and allocations increase, supply to Anambra State will also improve correspondingly.
The company expressed appreciation to residents for their patience and understanding, assuring that it will continue to provide the best possible service with the electricity available while keeping the public properly informed.