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Tag: Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC)

  • AEDC restructures, promotes staff

    AEDC restructures, promotes staff

    In line with its corporate transformation strategy, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has announced a restructuring exercise aimed at delivering improved services to  customers as well as enhanced operational efficiency and excellence.

    In a statement, the distribution company said the restructuring is in line with its strategic direction to become more agile, innovative and customer-centric.

    Read Also: Govt to invest N12billion in digital economy research

    As part of the transformation, the Company promoted high-performing staff, released retiring employees and those performing below par. 

    It also said it has put in motion the implementation of a robust employee development and customer management plan aimed at driving AEDC’s customer-centric focus.

    AEDC is committed to providing reliable, safe, and sustainable electricity to its customers across its touchpoints, supporting the growth and development of Nigeria’s energy sector.

  • Abuja Disco promises uninterrupted power supply in Niger

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has pledged to supply 12 hours uninterrupted electricity to Minna and its environs.

    The action is part of agreement reached between the state government and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company which took place at company’s Headquarters in Abuja.

    Speaking after the meeting, the Deputy Governor of Niger state and Chairman of the Committee on Constant and Quality electricity, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso said he hoped AEDC will abide by the nine point agreements reached at the meeting.

    According to him, the 12 hours uninterrupted electricity would be for two months and would be reviewed afterwards.

    The Deputy Governor added that a special committee would be set up to monitor the implementation of the supply by the company.

    He then urged the youths in the state to remain patient with government’s effort to give them the best dividends of democracy.

    Ketso also said that the era of estimated billing would soon be over as pre-paid meters would soon be distributed to customers.

    The nine points agreements reached at the meeting include supply of 12 hours electricity, communicating and informing customers on bottlenecks faced by the company, enhanced relationship between the state government and the company among others.

  • TCN insists on DisCos recapitalization

    ..as load rejection hits 40 percent

     

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Monday alleged that all the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) have adopted a common practice known as load management with which they reject 40% of the load that is wheeled to them for distribution to their customers.

    Commenting specifically on the attitude of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) towards the load that the TCN allocates to it, the Assistant General Manager, Transmission, Abuja Sub-station, Engr. Suleman Mahmud, told journalists in the Apo sub-station, Abuja that it is only about 60% of the load allocation that the AEDC accepts for onward supply to the consumers in its franchise area.

    The management of the TCN fulfilled its promise of taking the reporters on a tour to see the stranded power in the AEDC franchise area by touring on the facilities in Karu and Apo sub-stations in Abuja.

    Asked why the TCN is not supplying the rejected load to other DisCos, he explained that it has become a joint decision of the collective DisCos to reject the load. He said that “most of them have the same practice that they adopt.”

    Read Also: ‘TCN has achieved grid stability’

    He earlier noted that: “If we have 100 per cent to give and somebody (DisCo) is taking 40 per cent, rejecting 40 per cent. As I mentioned earlier that the maximum load they picked one day was 35mw. So we are at the mercy of AEDC. That is the truth.”

    Mahmud, however, attributed the practice of the company to the poor network of the Discos, which he said, is deterring Nigerians from benefiting from government investment in the expansion of transmission network.

    Meanwhile, the AEDC, Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, who was called to state his company’s side of the story did not receive his call.

    He replied the message that was sent to him, saying; “Apology for not taking your call. I am in a training at the moment. I will make some enquiring.”

    The load rejection, according to the TCN Managing Director, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed has led to the loss of five: which includes two in Benin, two in Abuja and one in Onitsha.

    He urged the Federal Government to make a policy that will force the DisCos to recapitalize.

    His words: “That is why we are calling on government (Federal Ministry of Power) to make a policy directive that will lead to the recapitalization of the DisCos. We are also calling of NERC to also make a regulation that will lead to the recapitalization of the DisCos.”

    He complained that no matter the amount of investment that TCN put into transmission expansion, it cannot achieve the desired result.

    Mohammed revealed that because there is a symbiosis relationship in the market, the non-performance of any of the chain affects the performance of the other ends.

    He submitted that the distribution companies are neither generating the expected revenue nor are they carrying out the required investments.

    The TCN boss said that “That is why we need the massive investment on the side of the DisCos…  The electricity industry is a connected business. If the GenCos do not perform, it will affect TCN. If the DisCos do not perform, it will also affect the TCN and the GenCos. So this is the problem.

    “Apart from the fact that we are not getting the required revenue that the DisCos are supposed to be bringing to the market, also we are not even get getting the required investment on their side so that we can have seamless relationship.”

    Asked whether he would help recommend that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission approve a higher tariff for the DisCos for them to boost their investment, Mohammed said that an upward review of the tariff will not solve the problem.

    According to him, there is a higher distribution loss because the DisCos lack the capacity to collect the charges at even the prevailing tariff.

    He said that “I don’t believe in the argument that only tariff is the problem because capacity is also an issue and there are so many other issues. Even the current tariff if they can collect 100%, I am telling you, we cannot be where we are.”

  • Gwagwalada community decries outrageous electricity bills

    Residents of Kutunku Community in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, on Wednesday decried outrageous electricity bills in spite epileptic power supply by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

    Some of the residents, who spoke in separate interviews with our reporters, described the development as worrisome.

    According to them, issuing outrageous bills in spite epileptic power supply has hindered economic activities and social life in the area.

    Mr Joseph Gado, a resident of the area, said that electricity consumers in the community were given high bill bills in spite poor electricity supply.

    “The power supply is not more than twice in a week, and at the end of the month they will bring outrageous bills for us to pay.

    “How can AEDC be bringing between N7, 000 and N9,000 to a two-bedroom flat in a month when the supply is not stable.

    “We are being forced to pay for electricity we never consumed; this is extortion, we demand for transparency in the billing methodology,” Gado said.

    Mr Musa Bala, a landlord in the area, said all the electric poles, cables and other electricity facilities situated along New Kutunku Road that supplied the community were due for replacement.

    “Virtually all the transformers are dilapidated and can no longer continue to cope with the load on them.

    “From our feasibility study, more than 5,000  houses in Kutunku use one transformer, which is grossly inadequate,” he said.

    Mrs Sarah Tukurah, another resident of the community, urged AEDC management to install prepaid meters in all houses in the area.

    “The power supply is normally late at night, when everyone is asleep, and at the end of the month one will be given outrageous bills.

    Read Also: Gwagwalada shines at NECO awards

    “We want AEDC management to provide us with prepared meters so that we can have the value of our money,’’ she said.

    Respondind, Mr Fadipe Oyebode, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, AEDC, Abuja,  said the company did not bill its customers arbitrarily.

    “We bill according to the energy delivered and it is surprising to hear some of our customers complain about outrageous billings and shortage of power supply,” he said.

    Oyebode urged electricity consumers in the area to report cases of dilapidated equipment at AEDC’s Customer Care Offices nearest to them.

     

  • DisCos’ electricity purchase rate exceeds 105 percent

    The rate at which the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) buy power has increased to about 105% since 2015, but the rate at which the investors sell has remained at 16% for the same period.

    The Managing Director, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Engr. Ernest Mupwaya disclosed this to journalists Wednesday during the flag-off of the installation of 222,728 meters in Abuja.

    Read Also:Fed Govt okays TCN to oversee N72b investment in DisCos

    He noted that there is a huge gap of loss in the electricity market that even 100% collection of revenue cannot fill as a result of the differential between buying and selling rates.

    His words: “the rate at with we are buying energy is not very transparent to the public. But I can tell you that if you look at the period from 2015 to date, the price at which we are buying it has increased beyond 100%. In fact 105% is where it is. But there has not been a corresponding increase downstream.

    “For the same period the increase has been 16%. So, that differential builds in a loss. That is another form of a loss which is constraining the sector’s liquidity because everybody has to rely on what we are collecting. If the price at which you are buying is very high, even if you are collecting 100% there is still a gap.”

    The AEDC, according to him, has commenced the distribution of transformers meters to checkmate electricity theft, vandalism and surveillance on the network.

    With the meters, he said that the company will be able to compare how much energy has been supplied to a number of customers in an area and how much energy they receive through their meters.

    He pointed out that whenever there is a gap in the sale, it gives an intelligent information of energy leakages which could ordinarily go undetected.

    The Managing Director added that “some people can be so creative that they will dig underground and put a cable not to be seen and put it on high load and they are not passing the meter.

    “The meters we are installing right now, even at a distance of 100 meters, they can interrogate the meter. At night they can switch off momentarily the supply, if they see that the light are still on, they will know that there is a cable which is not passed through the meter. Those are the measures we have out in place to safeguard the investments.”

    All the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) electricity debts have been centralized in the Ministry of Power Works and Housing, according the Minister, Babatunde Fashola.

    The Director of Distribution of the Ministry, Basilla Sapke, who represented him at the ceremony, said that issue of MDAs has become a recurring decimal.

    She disclosed that the Federal Government has centralized the debts in the ministry in order to stop it from reflecting in future.

    The minister said that “only yesterday (Wednesday), the minister convened a meeting with a security agent, which is one of the of areas that the distribution companies find it difficult to collect money.

    “And we discussed with them the need for metering also payment. Because one of the security outfits said even if they are metered they don’t want to be disconnected on credit.  But we are trying to put a mechanism in place such that that will be a thing of the past.

    “If Abuja DisCo will recall we put in place a mechanism to make sure that all MDAs payments are centralized in Federal Ministry of a power and housing. We are trying to include MDAs so that the issue of MDAs debt will not be reflecting going forward.”

    Fashola encouraged the distribution companies to access the N39billion loan that is available for them to meter their customers.

    He added that “from next year there will be private financing coming into the sector,” for the DisCos to double their metering space.

    The minister warned against meter bypass and electricity theft, stressing the elites are also involved in the nefarious act. He however advised the customers to report any issues with their meters to the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    In order to reflect local content, he urged the DisCo to ensure that the 70 electrical engineers that are to install the meters are Nigerians.

    Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) representative at the event, Elder Ben Eboh, said that the power sector needs $10billion for infrastructure annually; the bank is working hard to bridge the gap in the sector.

    He said that owing to the CBN intervention, the DisCos have acquired and distributed 704,000 meters.

    The Chairman, NERC, Prof. James Momoh, noted that the commission has initiated the Credit Advance Payment Metering Implementation (CAPMI) and Metering Asset Provider (MAP) regulation as a result of the liquidity issues with the metering.

    Represented by Mr. Shaibu Shittu, who extolled the efforts of the AEDC at metering, the chairman pointed out that the company has overshot its metering expectation.

  • AEDC makes enumeration condition for 222,728 meters

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Thursday said that one of the hurdles that may deter some areas from benefiting from the ongoing installation of 222,728 meters is if the location has not been enumerated.

    Asked whether customers in the Mararaba, Nasarawa of State would also benefit from the exercise as most of the electricity consumers in that location are still grappling with the pains of estimated billings, the AEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, Thursday said that the meters are for all the customers within the company’s area of coverage that have been enumerated.

    Some Maraba customers complained to this correspondent that the burden of estimated billing was becoming unbearable to them as only a handful of them have been metered.

    Although Fadipe did not state the percentage of the existing customers that would benefit from the 222,728, he said once AEDC has enumerated the area, the next stage is the installation of the meter.

    Read Also:AEDC denies issuance of Force Majeure on direct purchase of electricity

    Speaking with The Nation on phone, he said that: “AEDC meter is for all AEDC customers. It depends on those areas, like that Maraba area whether they have fulfilled the fundamental conditions precedent to the metering.

    “And the fundamental condition precedent is the enumeration of the area. So, if we have enumerated that area, then the next stage will be the installation of the meter.”

    He explained that the enumeration gives room for knowing the customers and provides the electricity firm the opportunity of gathering data about the customer.

    Fadipe added that the enumeration generates information about “the transformer that is feeding the customer, the customer’s telephone number and may be email address.

    “What would that do for us? One of the things that it will do for us is that if for instance, we want to communicate with customers within a particular cluster, we can communicate with them directly and personally.”

    With the data, he said that AEDC could for instance, be in a position to send sms to the customers on issues like time or duration of power interruption in the area.

    He described the strategy as a “customer relationship management module. That enumeration is like a one stop shop for us. It can also help us plan in terms of expansion of the network.”

  • AEDC requires $150m to install meters for customers – MD

    AEDC requires $150m to install meters for customers – MD

    Abuja Electricity Distribution Company ( AEDC ) says about 150 million dollars is required to finance metering of  electricity customers  in its coverage areas of Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ).

    AEDC’s Managing Director, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, said this while making a presentation to House Committee on  Privatisation, who was on oversight visit to the company.

    Mupwaya said  the huge cost of metering was one of the challenges to mass metering of all the customers.

    He, however, said the company had a target of installing 120,000 meters yearly, adding that 146,000 meters had been installed so far.

    He told the  house committee  members that  AEDC was in the final process of  procuring another 320,000 meters  to accelerate  metering of  residential  customers.

    On Large Power Users (LPU), he said AEDC  had successfully  installed meter for all the 4,000 LPU customers; installed a technology to improve security and tampering detection on the equipment.

    He also said that the technology was designed to help monitor quality of power supply and power flow to the customers.

    According to him, the company has installed network capacity of about 870 MW above 710 MW peak power network received, adding that it has capacity to receive more power across its franchise area.

    He also said AEDC had also reduced its technical and commercial losses from 56 per cent at inception to 44 per cent in Dec 2017.

    Mupwaya further disclosed that the company had replaced and installed 630 faulty distribution transformers, totaling 208 MVA at the cost of N903 million to ensure improved services to its customers.

    He said that the company had consolidated its vending system into three separate systems.

    This, he said,  was designed to ensure increased payment tracking, flexible electronic solutions and convenience vending at any location, irrespective of meter type, brand or location.

    Earlier, House Committee Chairman on Privatisation, Ahmed Yerima, represented by Shadima Mutiu, said the committee was aware of the challenges faced by DISCOS  in the country.

    He, however, said the oversight visit was to ensure that objective of privatising the sector by  Federal Government was being  archived, especially in delivering power to Nigerians.

    Yerima said the visit was to ensure the DISCOS performed their duties and lived up to the terms of  the agreement  reached in the privitasation documents.

    According to him, part of the agreement is that AEDC reduces power theft, either technical or commercial.

    “We expect that you overhaul your obsolete equipment; we expect that you have metered majority of your customers.”

    He said it was important that Nigerians experienced the benefits of privatising the sector.

    He, however, said  the committee members were impressed  with the  level of achievements by AEDC  in its franchise areas.

    He urged AEDC to always present its operational challenges to the House for possible ways of resolving the issues.

    Yerima said the house would collaborate with the company, with the support of the executive, to help resolve challenges like energy theft, debts owed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through legislation.

    High point of the visit was the inspection of some of the facilities in the company by the committee members.

    NAN

  • 40 electricity transformers vandalised in Nasarawa in 10 months – AEDC

    40 electricity transformers vandalised in Nasarawa in 10 months – AEDC

    Mr Ameen Shakur, Nasarawa State Regional Manager, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company ( AEDC ) says that no less than 40 transformers are vandalised in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa state since January.

    Shakur disclosed this on Wednesday when the executive and members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ ) Nasarawa State Council visited the company in Keffi.

    He decried the high rate of vandalism of electricity installations in the state, adding that the menace was impeding AEDC’s efforts in delivering effective service to the people of the state.

    “We have recorded over 40 transformers being vandalised since January in Lafia alone and that is what is happening all over the state.

    “It is high time customers took ownership of the equipment because they are located within their areas and are serving them.

    “There is nothing wrong with customers asking questions when they see suspicious persons around electricity installations,” Shakur said.

    According to him, a 500 KVA transformer costs N4.5 million, aside cables and other accessories.

    “It is imperative for the customers to know that the installations first belong to them, although being the company property, thus the need to protect them should be paramount.”

    He said the cost of replacing the vandalised substations was huge and appealed to customers to bear with the company

    The state regional manager assured them that the company was addressing the problem gradually due to the number of cases involved.

    Earlier, Suleiman Abubakar, Chairman of the Chapel appealed to the company to improve on its services in the state to meet the demands of the customers.

    Abubakar called for the provision of prepaid meters to address over billing and non-payment of electricity bills.

    NAN

  • NSCDC nabs cable vandal in Niger – Commandant

    NSCDC nabs cable vandal in Niger – Commandant

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ), Niger Command, has arrested one Mohammed Ndayagi for alleged vandalism of high tension aluminium conductor cable belonging to AEDC in Gbako Local Government Area.

    The Corps Commandant, Mr Philip Ayuba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Minna on Tuesday.

    He said that the suspect was arrested by officer and men of the Corps on routine patrol in Gbako Local Government Area of the state for alleged vandalism of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company ( AEDC ) electric cables.

    He said that the suspect confessed to the crime during investigation but said they work as a cartel, saying that other suspects are being monitored for possible arrest.

    He said that the suspect would be charged to court after investigation.

    He called on members of the general public to imbibe the culture of providing intelligence information on residents tempering with public facilities to the security agencies.

    NAN

  • AEDC loses N500m to vandalism

    AEDC loses N500m to vandalism

    The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, said Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) lost over N500 million to activities of vandals in Abuja, Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger from January to date.

    Idris made this known while inaugurating the Anti-Electricity Vandalism Response Squad (AEVRS) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said that 233 cases of vandalism were recorded in the area during the period.

    He, however, said that over the years, the police did a lot to prevent vandals from destroying electricity installations across the country.

    “With the worsening state of the situation, it has become expedient to urgently develop an improved strategy to better protect the nation`s critical electricity infrastructure,” the police boss said.

    He added that the creation of AEVRS became necessary because the traditional methods deployed were not enough to adequately guarantee their safety.

    He explained that the unit was specifically dedicated to the protection of electrical installations among others.

    Idris said that to ensure that no part of the country was left out of the strategy, commissioners of police in all the states had been directed to liaise with electricity distribution companies in their states.

    He said that policemen deployed to the unit would undergo specialised training to update their skills.

    “In addition, the unit is subject to routine monitoring and evaluation to ensure they remain focused,“ he said.

    Earlier, the Managing Director of AEDC, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, had said that the company recorded 89 cases of vandalism in 2016, adding that the figure doubled in 2017.

    “Between January and September, 233 cases of vandalism have been reported within our franchise area,” he added.

    He also said that the company spent N195 million to replace vandalised items during the period.

    Mupwaya said that the implication of the “unfortunate situation is that money which ought to be used for acquiring new assets will be channelled to replacing vandalised equipment’’.

    He restated the company`s preparedness to ensure that all bottlenecks impeding supply of electricity to customers were removed.

    The Chairman, Board of Directors, AEDC, Mr Shehu Malami, said that the rising cases of vandalism of power equipment was a major threat to efficient electricity generation and distribution in the country.

    He said that the company was committed to work with all stakeholders to improve power supply to customers within its franchise areas.

    “I am also using this opportunity to call on members of the public to join hands with us in this partnership with the police to tackle this menace,“ he said.

    NAN