The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company has explained that various reasons have led to the current power supply in its area, causing disruptions and inconvenience for residents and businesses.
The reasons, it said, are low gas supply to generating companies, vandalism, energy theft, and routine maintenance by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
The PUNCH recalls The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, recently called a meeting with IBEDC due to the worsening power supply in its area and threatened to revoke the licenses of underperforming power distribution companies.
In a statement issued by the IBEDC spokesperson, Busolami Tunwase, the management of the DisCo expressed the desire to communicate the issues, reassure its customers, and find lasting solutions.
The IBEDC said that one of the main reasons for the poor power supply is the low gas supply to generating companies, which has led to a gradual decrease in available generation into the grid. This reduced the power available on the transmission grid for supply to IBEDC and hindered its ability to provide power to customers in Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and partly in Kogi, Niger and Ekiti states.
It further stated that planned outages in specific areas of its network were necessary due to scheduled maintenance activities conducted by the TCN in January and March 2024.
The company pleaded for understanding and apologized for any disruptions experienced by its customers as a result of the essential measures taken to ensure the long-term reliability of electricity infrastructure.
The statement noted that vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure continue to have a negative impact on power supply.
The IBEDC mentioned the vandalism of TCN towers in Ogun State in May 2023, which resulted in over seven months of darkness for many customers.
“IBEDC is facing an increasing number of vandalism cases, with over 40 incidents recorded in 2024 alone.
The theft of valuable assets such as transformer oil, cables, and aluminum conductors poses a significant challenge to the company's operations, causing extended outages for affected communities depending on the severity of the act.
“Energy theft through illegal connections, meter bypass, and illicit meters also significantly affect the adequate supply of power to customers as they lead to revenue losses and liquidity problems for the electricity value chain. IBEDC has identified over 1,450 cases of energy theft between January and February 2024.
The company also identified customer payment apathy as a major challenge to ensuring an adequate power supply.
It noted, “Unfortunately, across our customer segments, there are different attitudes towards electricity payment, with some viewing it as a social service that should not be paid for, some only paying part of the bill, and others not paying because they haven't received their preferred hours of supply.
The company is asking customers to please pay for the electricity they have used as well as any outstanding bills. This will help the company stay in business and improve the power supply.
Despite the challenges, the company is hopeful that the poor power supply will improve soon. The Minister of Power, Adelabu, has taken urgent steps to address the gas supply issue.
The company is working with security agencies to reduce energy theft and vandalism. They are asking customers to protect electrical infrastructures in their communities and report any suspicious activities.
The company is taking comprehensive measures to improve and strengthen their infrastructure so they can efficiently distribute power. They are also looking into alternate power sources to meet the demand for power.
