The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company has pledged to significantly reduce blackouts and electricity interruptions in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa states by 2027.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye, made the commitment during a stakeholder engagement in Abuja on Thursday, assuring customers that efforts were underway to stabilise supply within its franchise area.
Okwuokenye attributed the recent nationwide drop in electricity supply to reduced allocation from the national grid, citing seasonal challenges affecting generation. However, he expressed confidence that the situation would improve with ongoing infrastructure upgrades and additional power sources.
He disclosed that the Disco plans to leverage the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s 350-megawatt gas plant under construction in Gwagwalada to boost electricity supply in Abuja and surrounding areas, either by the last quarter of this year or early next year.
According to him, AEDC is constructing a new feeder line to Wuse beginning in the second week of March, with the goal of delivering at least 20 hours of electricity daily to customers in Wuse and Idu.
“It may sound like a tall order, but it is possible. By this time next year, this huge impact in terms of power drop will be a thing of the past. We will not be affected by the drop in power supply from the National Grid,” he said.
The AEDC boss also identified energy theft as a major challenge facing distribution companies nationwide and called for greater cooperation from electricity consumers to curb the menace.
He further stressed the need to review the current tariff template to address the liquidity crisis in the power sector, adding that the company had deployed 70,000 meters under the Federal Government’s free metering scheme.
The assurance comes amid growing public concern over persistent outages across parts of the country.
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