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Tag: KEDCo

  • KEDCO partners 30 mini grid developers to increase network by 40mw in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa

    KEDCO partners 30 mini grid developers to increase network by 40mw in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa

    The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) is partnering some 30 embedded mini-grid developers to increase in-network generation by 40MW in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states within 18 months.

    This was made known by the KEDCO Head of Corporate Communications, Bala Sani.

    Sani said the Kano Electricity Distribution Company’s network in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa has high population growth rates and needs incremental supply to meet the growing energy needs of the citizens in the franchise area.

    “To accelerate outcomes for its customers, KEDCO is partnering with a number of leading energy supply companies to develop Embedded Power Generation and Interconnected and Isolated mini-grids with a primary focus on Renewable Energy.

    “KEDCO is actively partnering with the State Governments of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa to ease the development of incremental supply projects in the network,” he said.

    Sani recalled that in February 2024, KEDCO launched an RFQ process to qualify competent and experienced Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to partner in developing up to 40MW in supply projects within the franchise area.

    “These ESCOs will partner with KEDCO in the conceptualisation, design and development of projects focusing on Solar Energy, Battery Storage and Gas-Based Generation,” he said.

    According to the company’s spokesman, after the evaluation, a total of 31 companies have been approved as ESCOs and were grouped under Tier 1 and Tier 2 categories depending on the capacities of the plant / project to be developed.

    Read Also: KEDCO MD departs after tenure ends

    “Under the Tier 1 category, the ESCOs are expected to develop sites with generating capacity of 1MW or above.

    “A total of 15 ESCOs were qualified: ESCOs qualified under this category are Axxela Limited, Elektron Energy, Daystar Power Limited, Westa Solar, Bagaja Renewables (Bagaja-WeiSky SPV), Paras Energy, 1634 Energy, Proserve Energy, Off-Grid Electric, Spul-Sub 3 Limited, Strom Infrastructure Limited, Husk Power Limited, Havenhill Synergy Limited, Grid Crux and Hamilton Energy.

    “The remaining 16 Companies were also qualified for a Tier 2 category to develop projects with a capacity of 1MW or less.

    “ESCOs qualified under this category are: Stata Energy, Prado Power, Arnergy Solar, Sabrud Consortium, Bajis, TetraCore, Vertmance, Energiv Energy, Rensource Distributed, Power China Huodong, Royal Power, Power Generation, Neigh Energy, Junaid Synergy, Pam Africa, and Trust Synergy.

    “KEDCO’s new core investor and Board are working with the state governments to accelerate outcomes for citizens within the franchise states and striving to be the leading renewable energy Electricity Distribution Company in Africa through innovative partnerships and strategic focus,” Sani said.

  • KEDCO MD departs after tenure ends

    KEDCO MD departs after tenure ends

    The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (Kaduna Electric) has announced the departure of Yusuf Yahaya as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, after the conclusion of his tenure.

    Yahaya’s tenure ended on December 31, 2023.

    He said it had been a remarkable journey at the company, driving transformative changes in the electricity distribution sector.

    He said: “I am proud of our collective achievements in operational efficiency and customer service enhancement, made possible through our team’s dedication and stakeholder support.”

    A statement by Spokesperson of KEDCO, Abdulazeez Abdullahi said during his leadership, Yahaya was instrumental in steering extensive organisational reforms and commercial growth.

    The statement said: “Yahaya was at the helm during a critical phase, initiating a robust turnaround program focused on key organisational and personnel reforms, and significantly improving service delivery.

    “The company witnessed marked improvements in infrastructure and energy management under his guidance, with substantial investments in network and energy management infrastructure being a major highlight of his tenure.

    Read Also: Kaduna Electric apprehends suspected energy thief at night raid

    “We are immensely grateful to Yahaya for his visionary leadership and the pivotal role he played in the corporate turnaround of Kaduna Electric. His tenure will be remembered as a period of transformative change for our company.

    “Yahaya’s departure follows efforts by key stakeholders like the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Central Bank of Nigeria, and lenders such as the African Export-Import Bank and Fidelity Bank, to strengthen operations at Kaduna Electric.

    “As he moves on to new endeavour, Yahaya carries with him invaluable experiences and relationships built during his tenure.

    “Kaduna Electric extends its best wishes for his future endeavours, confident that the foundation laid by Yahaya will continue to benefit the company’s operations and service delivery.”

  • KEDCO gets new head

    KEDCO gets new head

    The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has announced Abubakar Yusuf as the Acting Managing Director of KEDCO, effective immediately.

    Chairman of the Board of KEDCO, Adamu Gumel in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja said the appointment followed the dissolution of the Interim Management Board that previously oversaw KEDCO under “receivership and restructuring.”

    Gumel emphasised the importance of the new Board’s commitment to following global best practices and adhering to necessary regulatory requirements in the selection of a Managing Director.

    He said the decision marked a crucial step in KEDCO’s journey towards achieving excellence and enhancing its service delivery.

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    Gumel stated: “We are instituting a competitive process to identify a Managing Director, in line with international standards. This approach will ensure that KEDCO continues to evolve and excel in the power distribution sector.

    “As KEDCO undergoes this transformative phase, Mr. Abubakar Yusuf, the newly appointed Acting MD, will collaborate closely with the Board to spearhead the repositioning of the company. The focus is firmly set on making KEDCO the leading Distribution Company (DISCO) in Nigeria.

    “Mr. Yusuf will play a pivotal role during this process as we work together to enhance KEDCO’s performance and services.”

  • KEDCO spends millions to improve service delivery—MD

    The authorities of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has declared acquisition of modern operational facilities worth millions to boost the quality and range of power distribution with a view to improving consumers’ satisfaction.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe) told reporters in a chat the newly acquired equipment would be commissioned for use in the first week of May.

    Gwamna stated the company’s resolve to reduce complaints while improving the quality of service and ensuring that consumers get value for their money had necessitated such spending.

    He added that the equipment would boost the quality of power distribution and the capacity of KEDCO staff to respond to emergency calls while mitigating electrical faults.

    According to him:“In our quest to satisfy our customers and ensure that consumers get value for their money, we have acquired some electrical equipment and other operational vehicles to make service delivery swift and timely.

    “We have acquired 170 transformers comprising 500KVA 11, 500KVA 33, 300KVA 33, 300KVA 11.

    “We also acquired 60 operational vehicles comprising Golf, Hilux, buses and ambulances. Also, hundreds of personal protective equipment, helmet, boots and gloves, reflective jackets, ladders and transformer cables were bought.

    “The transformers will solve the challenge of overloading which has been one of the complaints I had received recently and we have moved in that direction.

    “So the new transformers will be used to jerk up the voltage levels and decrease the risk of electrical installation developing faults.

    “We are on course to see that we address all complaints by consumers as well as guarantee improvement in power distributions across KEDCO States.”

    He stressed that all they had bought were as a results of KEDCO’s commitment to minimise complaints while maximising all efforts to get consumers happier than the previous years.

    He added that since KEDCO takes its customers as partner in progress, the customer should also play their part to pay their bills timely and completely.

  • Only KEDCO staff can collect electricity bills, not NEPA 2 – MD

    The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, has called on consumers in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states to desist from paying their electricity bills through illegal staff known as NEPA 2, adding that all bills must be paid only to genuine personnel who are known as KEDCO Staff/offices or approved banks.

    Speaking at a media parley in Kano, Gwamna advised KEDCO consumers to ensure they pay their bills at any KEDCO offices and or at the nearest banks.

    According to Gwamna, it has become necessary to give this advice as illegal staff called NEPA 2, have devised means of collecting payments without remitting them to KEDCO coffers or staff who are the genuine personnel to function in that regard.

    “Customers should also ensure collection of receipt after payment. The nefarious activities of such illegal staff who collect revenue from customers without remitting same to the company is affecting our revenue collection,” he said.

    Dr. Gwamna urged KEDCO customers to desist from patronising such personnel, noting that: “You should rather pay your bills through the banks, directly to KEDCO offices or through POS and you insist on getting official receipt for any such payments.

    According to him, in less than one year, KEDCO was able to improve on its revenue collection from 48 per cent in the last five years to 60 per cent presently.

    The KEDCO boss said the company had improved on its customer experience, pointing out that, “we have customer units in all our 180 offices across the three states. Effectively, we resolve technical complaints within a space of two hours, while commercial complaints are resolved within 24 hours. We are currently working on having 24-hour customer care unit service so that customers can get us at any time and lay their complaints for immediate action.”

    He said in 2018 alone, KEDCO spent N4 billion on capital expenditure on which over 200 transformers and 60 vehicles were purchased, among other essential infrastructure, to improve power supply.

    The KEDCO boss also lamented on the challenges of metre by-pass, saying the issue of illegal connections by customers is becoming a big challenge to the company.

    He added that the development had adversely affected the company’s revenue target, noting that “we are almost running at a loss.”

    Gwamna blamed the epileptic power supply being experienced in recent times to faulty transformers, pointing out that KEDCO loses distribution of about 70 to 80 megawatts to two faulty transformers which were yet to be fixed or replaced by Transmission Company of Nigeria.

  • KEDCO MD laments activities of illegal staff

    The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna yesterday in Kano lamented the nefarious activities of illegal staff who collect revenue from customers without remission to the company, which has adversely affected revenue collection of the company.

    Dr. Gwamna who spoke during an interactive session with Reporters at Bristol Hotel, advised customers in KEDCO network area, namely Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states to desist from patronizing imposters masquerading as the company’s staff to defraud members of the public.

    According to him, the activities of these impostors is now alarming, causing losses and friction between KEDCO and its customers.

    Dr. Gwamna urged customers to pay their bills through the banks, directly to KEDCO offices or through POS, adding that customers must insist on getting official receipt for any such payment made.

    According to him, in less than one year, KEDCO has been able to reduce losses on revenue collection from 60 per cent to 50 percent, adding that revenue collection grew from 48 per cent in the last five years to 60 per cent presently.

    The KEDCO boss said the company has improved on its customer experience, pointing out that, “we have customer units in all our 180 offices across the three states. Effectively, we resolve technical complaints within a space of two hours, while commercial complaints are resolved within 24 hours. We are currently working on having 24 hours customer care unit services so that customers can get us at any time and lay their complaints for immediate action.”

    He said in 2018 alone, KEDCO spent N4 billion on capital expenditure on which over 200 transformers and 60 vehicles were purchased, among other essential infrastructure, to improve power supply.

    The KEDCO boss also lamented the activities of metre by-pass, saying that illegal connection by recalcitrant customers has become a very big challenge to the company, adding that the development has adversely affected the company’s revenue target, “as we are almost running at a loss.”

    Gwamna, however, blamed epileptic power supply being experienced in recent times to faulty transformers, pointing out that KEDCO losses distribution of about 70 to 80 mega watts to two faulty transformers which are yet to be fixed or replaced by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

  • Faulty transformers: KEDCO boss appeals to customers

    Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kano Electricity Distribution Company ( KEDCO ) Dr Jamilu Gwamna has appealed to customers to be patient as repair work on faulty transformers were on-going while assuring them of better power delivery as soon as the transformers were fixed.

    Gwamna said this in Kano on Monday while fielding questions from newsmen following an SOS sent by customers to Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

    According to him, it has become imperative to issue such appeal as it is one set-back that is currently threatening our good relations with our numerous customers who have taken their complaints to even the TCN aside the similar ones made to KEDCO.

    “It has come to the level that we have to beg our customers who are affected by the faulty transformers because we don’t want anything to dent our relationship with our customers as it is tilting towards.

    “Our customers have been good and faithful in their payments. The truth is that we didn’t cause this and we don’t pray it continues this way but I assure our customers that better days wait them in terms of power delivery as soon as the transformers are fixed.

    “We are aware that some of our customers are not happy especially those that are directly affected. But I can assure you that the TCN and KEDCO are working to get things back online. So, let the customers exercise patience.

    The Kano DisCo boss emphasized that the customers are the ones keeping them in business, adding that their happiness must be sought.

    He appealed to the TCN to quicken repair works on the faulty transformers while assuring the customers that succour would still come to them when the transformers become functional.

    Gwamna also appealed to the youths of host communities where KEDCO installations are to report any slight change in the position or sound of such equipment.

  • KEDCO partners foundation to de-worm 5, 000 children in Kano

    Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has described its collaboration with the Bako Kontagora Foundation to de-worm 5, 000 school children in Kano communities, is in fulfillment of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in 2019.

    In a statement by the firm’s spokesman, Mohammed Kandi, it quoted the Head of Corporate Communication, Sani Bala Sani, as saying :”we are proudly excited to key into this de-worming exercise because it’s in line with our CSR principle of providing support to the downtrodden.”

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    Kandi, who disclosed that the de-worming exercise, kick-started at Project and Model Primary Schools in Bebeji Local Government Area, said the exercise would be replicated in Shekar Barde SPS (Kumbotso LGA), Zaura Babba CPS (Ungogo LGA), Bagwai SPS ( Bagwai LGA), Shehu Shanono SPS ( Shanono LGA) and Mariri IDP camp in the ancient city of Kano.

    He also informed that, in line with the company’s quest to improving the health status of the rural dwellers, it had assisted the communities with at least 4,000 bottles of table, being utilised in the ongoing de-worming exercise.

  • KEDCO blames faulty transformer for power outage

    The management of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has blamed recent shortage in power supply to its franchise areas to the breakdown of a 150MVA transformer at the Kumbotso Transmission Station.

    Its Head of Corporate Communications, Sani Bala Sani, said the 150MVA transformer developed fault at exactly 0530hrs on  January 1 and since then, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) crew has been working to fix the fault.

    “Originally, the spoilt 150MVA transformer supplies entire Hadejia, Daura, Kankia and environs, part of Katsina and Dakata in Kano. Albeit temporary measures have been employed to supply these areas on a rationing basis, supply has drastically reduced.

    “Recall that in November 2014, a 150MVA transformer was lost due to a fire outbreak which reduced the installed capacity of the Kumbotso Transmission Station to 450MVA from 600MVA. Now the entire KEDCO franchise area is left with a meagre 300MVA which has resulted to supply rationing in the three states of our operations,” he said in a statment.

    The statement added that, before the transformer was lost, KEDCO had been managing to cater for all categories of customers in the three states of its operations including Azare in Bauchi State and Gazoua in Niger Republic.

    Sani also quoted the company’s Chief Technical Officer, Engr. David Omoloye as saying “several meetings have been held in a bid to secure the replacement of the burnt 150MVA transformer since 2014 to no avail and now another 150MVA has developed fault which has negative impact on our customer satisfaction efforts and business generally.

    “Kano which is industrial and commercial hub of northern Nigeria should be given undivided priority in terms of power infrastructure; thus without stable and quality supply, businesses would be crippled which is against our collective will”

    Sani called on customers in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa to exercise patience as management is already making efforts with the TCN to ensure speedy repair or replacement of the faulty transformers.

  • KEDCo expands power network

    The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCo), has concluded plans to expand power networks in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, the Managing Director/CEO, Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, has said.

    Speaking during his new year message in Kano,  Gwamna  said expansion was necessary to improve access to electricity and quality of power supply to more people within the states under KEDCo.

    He said there improvement in power distribution last year as a result of the expansion of power network and quality of supply, with route length spanning 106Km, adding that more of the ongoing expansion will be his priority this year.

    “In the area of network expansion for the purpose of improving distribution of power, we have added 51800 KVA with a length route of 33.72KM (33KV) and 17.86KM (11KV) and 55.4 KM (0.415KV).

    “This was undertaken to  improve distribution and quality of power supply to our customers, who have already felt the impact, both for domestic and industrial purposes,” he said, adding that this has served in growing key industries in Kano and other states, which impacted in the sustainability of more industries in the states.