TheNewsGuru

Tag: Electricity

  • TCN restores bulk power supply to Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri line

    TCN restores bulk power supply to Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri line

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it has restored full power supply through the Gombe-Damaturu- Maiduguri 330 Kilo Volt  (KV) transmission line.

    Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’S General Manager, Public Affairs, said this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

    Mbah said that power supply had been fully restored on Gombe – Damaturu line at about  7:25 pm, on  Oct 30th, and on the Damaturu – Maiduguri (Molai) part of the line on Oct 31, about 2:01 pm.

    She recalled that tower 372, along the 330kV transmission line, was vandalised on Sept 22, adding that the vandalised tower was rebuilt, and the stringing of the line was completed on Oct 23   at about 12:48 pm.

    ”TCN was, however, unable to immediately restore bulk power supply through the line due to the vandalism of the Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line.

    ”Power supply has, however, been fully restored along the Gombe – Damaturu – Maiduguri 330kV transmission line.

    ”TCN is again calling on the public to join in the fight against power installation vandalism to safeguard the future of electricity in Nigeria,”she said.

    Mbah appealed to Nigerians to report suspicious activities around transmission installations to security operatives or TCN offices nationwide.

  • Blackout in Northern region: TCN gives condition to commence work on second transmission line

    Blackout in Northern region: TCN gives condition to commence work on second transmission line

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that its engineering team is preparing to commence work on the second 330kV transmission line to restore electricity fully in the Northern region of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports TCN made this known in a statement issued by Mrs Ndidi Mbah, TCN’S General Manager Public Affairs, in Abuja on Thursday while confirming that bulk power supply has been restored to parts of Northern Nigeria after weeks of blackout.

    The company confirmed it successfully restored bulk power supply through its 330 Kilo Volt (kV) Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line I as at 4:56 pm on Wednesday.

    The company said that power supply was restored to Lafia, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe following the completion of repairs on the vandalised section of the Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line.

    Mbah said that with the restoration of the line, the Apir-Lafia 330kV transmission line 2 was now operational and also bulk power transmission had been restored to the states.

    ”As restoration efforts continue, with the TCN engineering team preparing to commence work on the second 330kV transmission line. All necessary materials for the repairs are on hand.

    ”Work will begin as soon as the site is secured for the safety of TCN’s personnel to the affected sections of the vandalised 330kV transmission line II.

    ”In the meantime, teams of linesmen will re-patrol the 330kV line II to ensure that no other sections are impacted as the repair works progress,”she said.

    TCN said it appreciates the patience and understanding from those affected as its engineers work diligently to restore the 330kV transmission line II.

    TCN  also recognises the importance of electricity in Nigerians daily lives and is committed to ensuring that this line is repaired swiftly, thereby increasing the bulk power to the affected areas by the incident.

    Kano residents jubilate restoration of electricity

    Meanwhile, there was a wild jubilation as electricity was restored to the ancient Kano city and its environs, North’s commercial hub, after days of blackout due to a grid collapse.

    Nigeria had obnoxiously witnessed many national grid collapses in 2024. They included those in February. 4, March 28, April 15 and July 6 and most recently in October 14 also in October 15, just some hours after service was restored, there was another grid collapse.

    Many of the residents who spoke on the restoration of the power supply expressed appreciation for what they described as a big relief in view of the hot weather and the collapse of many businesses that largely depend on electricity.

    Ali Musa, a resident of Nasarawa, said that the restoration of electricity was a big relief considering the heat in the day time.

    “This is a big relief to us as we battle with the high cost of petrol to power our homes and businesses,” he explained.

    Amina Shehu, a resident of Tarauni, said that she had been buying sachet water ice blocks for N300 per one and hoped the price would now go down drastically with the restoration of electricity.

    “I spend N1,000 daily to buy an ice block to cool my drinks and another N2,000 to fuel my generator at home. Thank God the power has been restored,” she said.

    Simon Isaac, a resident of Kumbotso, who operates a barbing saloon, said they were happy to resume full business as using a generator was not cost-effective.

    Isaac urged the federal government to decentralise the national grid so as to reduce the pressure on the main grid

    Another resident of the farm centre, Dayyabu Sani, who expressed his happiness, said he hoped that the government would find a lasting solution to the recurring  problem. He urged the government to invest in renewable energy and also provide mini grids.

  • TCN opens up on efforts to restore power to northern region

    TCN opens up on efforts to restore power to northern region

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it is intensifying efforts at restoring power to the northern parts of the country.

    Mr Sule Abdulaziz, the Managing Director, TCN said in Abuja on Tuesday at a media briefing  that the ongoing repairs of the damaged transmission line that led to the blackout in northern region  would be completed by Nov 3.

    On  October 22, TCN reported a power outage in the north-east, north-west, and parts of north-central after the 330-kilovolt Ugwuaji–Apir double circuit transmission lines 1 and 2 tripped off.

    The company also reported that the Shiroro-Kaduna line was vandalised, resulting to reduced bulk electricity supply to Kaduna, Kano, and other major cities in the north.

    Abdulaziz said that the area affected by the trip- off had been secured with help of Nigerian Army and concerted effort was on-going in one of the lines for restoration.

    ”Restoration of one of these lines will allow TCN to wheel about 400 Megawatts (MW) of power in that corridor.

    ”Also, TCN is intensifying efforts to repair and restore the second line on Ugwuaji – Apir on or by Nov. 3. This will avail TCN to wheel substantial quantum of power through Apir to Jos to Kaduna to Kano, ‘’ he said.

    According to him, TCN is working with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for security of personnel on site of Shiroro – Mando 330 Kilo volt  SC lines for commencement of rehabilitation of impacted towers in the axis.

    Abulaziz attributed the blackout in the northern region to vandalism of Ugwuaji – Apir 330kV lines, which was reported on  Oct. 21,  causing tripping of the lines. He said trial reclosure failed and patrol revealed damaged conductors due to vandalism.

    “This compounded the transmission of bulk power to the northern corridor as these lines serve as link between northern and southern area. This outage severely affected the wheeling capacity of TCN, ‘’ he said.

    Abdulaziz also said that the Shiroro – Mando 330kv line 1 tripped off on Sept. 9, patrol of safe area was done, but faulty section could not be reached due to insecurity.

    He said that efforts were made by using local vigilante who confirmed snap conductor on a tower but they could not identify the tower number.

    “Arrangements were made to use the local group to escort TCN’s engineers in the night to effect repairs in order to evade the bandits in the location.

    “Unfortunately, we did not succeed because the bandits got wind of our Intentions and laid siege im the area.

    “Minimum supply was maintained to the North-West corridor through the second circuit until  Oct. 13,  when the second line tripped-off and failed to stay on trial reclosure, ‘’ he said.

    He said local vigilantes were again engaged to comb the area but could only access part of the safe area.

    He said that due to TCN inability to access the area, it solicited the support of the Nigeria Air Force for unmanned aerial surveillance on Oct. 17 and the impacted towers were identified.

    Mr Abdullahi Yakasai, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement in the North-West, said that the Federal Government  was working hard to ensure that power was restored to the region.

    Yakasai appealed to Nigerians to be patient with TCN, adding that the blackout in the northern region was not a deliberate effort aimed at hurting the people.

    “President Bola Tinubu is so concerned about the blackout and he is been on top of the situation with the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu and the managing director of TCN

    “We believe in the next five days, power will be restored across the northern states,” he said.

  • Incessant grid collapse affecting DISCOs’ operations – JEDC

    Incessant grid collapse affecting DISCOs’ operations – JEDC

    Dr Elijah Adakole, Head, Corporate Communications, Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), says the reoccurring national power grid collapse is affecting Distribution Companies’ (DISCOs) revenue generation.

    Adakole, who said this in an interview on Saturday in Jos, explained that most of JEDC’s customers for instance, were on the company’s pre-paid metering system, which meant they would only pay for energy consumed.

    He, therefore, noted that the unavailability of power to distribute to consumers would invariably lead to zero revenue collection, a situation that would lead to serious financial losses.

    According to Adakole, the incessant collapse of the grid, also has a devastating impact on the economy as most businesses are dependent on electricity at both the macro and micro levels.

    He called on the Federal Government to seek long lasting solutions to the issue.

    Mr Steve Aluko, a civil society activist, said the recurring collapse of the grid should be of great concern because of its devastating consequences on the country’s economy and wellbeing of citizens.

    Mr Samson Benson, a welder, said the lack of electricity supply was crippling his business.

    Benson expressed worry that he was not making profit and also could loose his clients because of his inability to deliver at the scheduled time due to power challenge.

    ‘Most of the profit I would have made, was expended in the purchase of diesel to power my generating set to enable me work.

    “Even at that, I wasn’t able to deliver my clients items as scheduled, due to the unavailability of electricity,” he said.

    Benson appealed to the government to proffer a lasting solution to the incessant grid collapse as most businesses were dependent on electricity.

    Similarly, Mrs Alice Dung, a salon operator, said the lack of power supply was affecting her business negatively as she was now unable to offer all her clients’ required services.

  • How lack of electricity is killing businesses in Nigeria – Adesina

    How lack of electricity is killing businesses in Nigeria – Adesina

    Mr Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group (AfDB), says Nigeria is losing about 29 billion dollars annually due to a lack of reliable power supply.

    Adesina said that it amounted to 5.8 per cent loss in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),

    He made this known during his lecture on “building a global Nigeria” to mark 90th birthday anniversary of retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon in Abuja.

    He said that the major challenge facing Nigeria’s manufacturing industries was the high cost and unreliability of electricity supply.

    The AfDB boss said that load shedding and the inconsistent availability of electricity had resulted in high and uncompetitive manufacturing costs.

    According to him, most Nigerian manufacturing companies are providing their own energy with a high dependence on generators, diesel and heavy fuel oil.

    “It has been estimated by the IMF that Nigeria loses about 29 billion dollars annually, that is, 5.8 per cent of its GDP, due to a lack of reliable power supply.

    “The report also indicates that Nigerians spend 14:billion dollars yearly on generators and fuel.

    “There is no other way to say it, lack of electricity is killing Nigerian industries,” he said.

    He quoted the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) as saying that industries spent N93.1 billion on alternative energy in 2018.

    “Today, no business can survive in Nigeria without generators.

    “Nigeria had gas and crude oil in abundance, which can be vital means of generating electricity, yet, 86 million people live daily without electricity.

    “Today, Nigeria is the number one country in the world in terms of the total number of people without electricity,” he said.

    Adesina said that it was a situation that called for government’s attention so as to boost the country’s economy.

    He said that looking at achieving a “global Nigeria”, the country must achieve universal access to electricity.

    Highlighting AfDB‘s contributions, Adesina said that the bank had invested massively in the power sector to support the implementation of Nigeria’s Power Sector Recovery Programme by providing 200 million dollars for the Nigeria Electrification Project.

    “To support Nigeria and other African countries, the AfDB invests massively in the continent’s power sector.

    “This is through provision of 200 million dollars for the Nigeria Electrification Project, which is designed to fill the country’s electricity access gap.

    “We have also invested 210 million dollars in the Nigeria Transmission Project to strengthen the grid power evacuation and regional interconnection, ” Adesina said.

    According to him, a major component of AfDB’s energy strategy is the launch of the Desert to Power initiative, a 20 billion dollars initiative to provide electricity.

    He said that the initiative would provide electricity for 250 million people across 11 countries of the Sahel, including Northern Nigeria.

    He said that it was expected that Desert to Power would create the world’s largest solar zone.

    “This initiative will draw lessons from successful projects already financed by the bank, including the Noor Ouarzazate solar PV power project in Morocco,
    and the Ben Ban solar project in Egypt.

    “The President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga and I made the decision that the two institutions will work together to connect 300 million Africans, including Nigerians, to electricity by 2030, ” Adesina said.

  • DisCos rake in N431.16bn revenue for Q2 2024

    DisCos rake in N431.16bn revenue for Q2 2024

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says the total revenue collected by all  Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos)  in quarter two hit N431.16 billion.

    The commission made this known on its Website in its second quarter 2024 report in Abuja on Thursday.

    The report said that the N431.16 billion collected was out of the N543.64 billion that was billed  customers, adding that this translated to a collection efficiency of 79.31 per cent.

    It said in comparison to the total revenue collected by all DisCos in quarter 1 which was N291.62 billion out of the N368.65 billion billed customers which translated to 79.11 per cent collection efficiency.

    The report showed that Ikeja and Eko DisCos recorded the highest collection efficiencies of 94.67 per cent and 88.03 per cent respectively.

    ” Yola DisCo recorded the lowest collection efficiency of 55.67 per cent

    “A comparison of DisCos performance in Q1 and Q2 showed that six  DisCos recorded improvements in collection efficiency, ‘’ it said.

    The report also showed that the commission issued 18 licences, permits and certifications in the quarter under review.

    It said these included: five  new off-grid generation licences with a total nameplate capacity of 12.36 Megawatts (MW).

    “Two on-grid generation licences with a gross capacity of 66MW, one new electricity trading licence, one system operator licence.

    “One captive generation permit with a capacity of 5MW,  six  certifications for Meter Service Providers and two  permits and two permits for Meter Asset Providers, ‘’ it said.

  • Electricity company to systematically move customers to Band A

    Electricity company to systematically move customers to Band A

    The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has pledged to systematically transition customers from lower tariff bands to Band A, where they would enjoy a minimum of 20 hours of electricity supply daily.

    The acting Managing Director of EEDC, Dr. Ernest Mupwaya, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Enugu while declaring open the company’s Customer Service Week.

    “The theme for this year, “Above and Beyond,” could not be more fitting, as it captures both the essence of our transformation and our unwavering commitment to exceeding customer expectations.

    “This theme aligns perfectly with EEDC’s ongoing transformation, particularly as we continue with our ambitious programme.

    “This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone of you.

    “Together, we are not just delivering reliable power, we are providing an outstanding customer experience despite the many challenges we face,” he said.

    Mupwaya charged employees of the company to renew their commitment and determination to exceed customers’ expectations by providing courteous, timely and impactful services.

    According to him, EEDC believes and strives for excellence and together, the company will continue to power the people in the South-East and beyond with excellent, caring and innovative service always.

    He said that the company had deployed advanced and cutting edge technologies to ensure improved customers’ positive experience and seamless interface on all customers service/want being achieved in real-time and speed.

    “This is a significant moment for us to reflect on our journey, acknowledge our achievements and celebrate the critical role each one of you plays in delivering exceptional service to our customers.

    The acting managing director, however, noted that the company had encountered obstacles, such as insufficient revenue and the constraints imposed by industry regulations.

    He said, “I am proud to share that EEDC is making steady progress toward financial sustainability.

    “Through business process re-engineering and innovative solutions, we are steadily increasing our revenue collections and reducing losses month after month.

    “Our deployment of advanced ICT systems and the successful conversion of aluminum transformers to copper wound transformers using reverse engineering have introduced ground-breaking innovations with the potential for significant cost savings and improving customers’ positive experience.”

    Speaking, Head, Customer Service, EEDC, Mrs Ijeoma Ogudebe, encouraged all staff to step outside their comfort zones in ensuring that excellent services were delivered to customers.

    Ogudebe said, “Going above and beyond requires empathy, resilience and courage.

    “When we go above and beyond, the results are immeasurable and we build stronger relationships that create lasting impact leaving a good taste in the mouth of our customers.

    “Going above and beyond is not about what we do. It is about who we become and becoming the best version of ourselves.”

    Customer Service Week is an annual international event held yearly in the first week of October to recognise the importance of customer service and the contributions of all frontline staff who support customers on a daily basis.

    As a public service-based company, EEDC will commemorate the week from Oct. 8 to Oct. 12 and it involves all staff, electricity stakeholders and customers resident in South-East.

  • Electricity bill killing universities – ASUU raises alarm

    Electricity bill killing universities – ASUU raises alarm

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed worry over huge administrative cost incurred by many public universities.

    Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President, said this while speaking with newsmen at a two-day programme organised by the union on the state of nation conference on Thursday in Abuja.

    The theme of the conference is, “Nigeria in a State of general crisis: the search for a new path to development”.

    Osodeke said that most of the internally generated funds from universities were nothing to write home about when compared to the daily or monthly running costs for electricity, security among others.

    “We are so challenged, but let me give you a quick example, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, and University Nigeria, Nsuka; what they get from the government account for overhead running of the university in a month is N15million.

    “Meanwhile, the University of Lagos needs about N200 million naira to pay electricity bill. It is this IGR that you talk about that is used to pay for the electricity.

    “One of the universities today is closing down because they have been given electricity bill of N300 million naira.

    “What government gives you to run the system is N15 million, and you get a bill for electricity alone of 300 million naira,”he said.

    According to the ASUU president, the IGR is not enough to buy books in the library, or to run the library.

    “For whatever reason, they have refused to fund the university systems as it was in the earlier part of our history.

    “From the way we are going, if nothing is done, many universities will close up because they can not afford the so called band A and Band B,”he said.

    Osodeke also said that the economic situation of some academics in the country had become worrisome.

    He said that farming had become even more lucrative for academicians, especially as some professors earned lower than N300,000 per month, and still publish journals.

    He also criticised the proliferation of Universities in the country, adding that they are merely running on skeletal manpower as most of the academic staff were out of the country searching for greener pastures.

    He said that the situation within the university system was very disturbing.

    He also noted how rigging was perpetrated by the polictical class, which warranted ASUU members to stay away from electoral processes after the 2015 general elections.

    Osodeke added that, academicians still presiding over elections were doing so in their individual capacities, not as ASUU members.

    The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, called on ASUU to shelve its planned strike.

    Abbas said that there must be other alternative means of resolving industrial disputes in the university system other than the regular resort to strike.

    “We must equally strive to maintain industrial harmony and stability through alternative dispute resolution,”he said.

  • Suspected vandal electrocuted while attempting to steal electricity equipment

    Suspected vandal electrocuted while attempting to steal electricity equipment

    A suspected vandal has been electrocuted while tampering with an exposed live wire in order to steal it from a transformer substation at Commissioners’ Quarters in Damaturu, the Yobe capital.

    Blessing Tunoh, Communications Officer, Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), made this known in a statement issued in Yola on Saturday.

    Tunoh said that the company’s Regional Manager, Operations, visited the scene alongside the Maintenance Officer, after receiving the report of the incident.

    She said that the suspect’s body was evacuated from the substation by the Damaturu police patrol team codenamed: “Operation Haba Maza,” and taken to the Damaturu Teaching Hospital.

    The company’s spokesperson said that the relatives of the deceased came and identified the deceased’s corpse on arrival at the hospital and claimed it.

    “Investigation revealed that the deceased attempted to use his shirt to shield himself while tampering with an exposed live wire during the illegal act.

    “Unfortunately, contact with the live cable led to his instant electrocution but the transformer was not damaged, and no further vandalism was reported,” she said.

    Tunoh quoted DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the Police Public Relations Officer, Yobe Command, as saying that the deceased had attempted to steal the power assets at about 1:00 a.m.

    “There was power outage when the suspected vandal entered into the transformer substation but was suddenly electrocuted when power was restored.

    “His lifeless body was discovered in the early hours of the morning by residents on their way to the mosque for morning prayers.

    “The incident was promptly reported to the Maisandari ‘B’ Division of the Police Command in Yobe, which deployed personnel to evacuate the body.

    “We will continue to support the YEDC in protecting their installations and prosecuting arrested vandals who damage power infrastructure and disrupt services,” she quoted Abdulkarim as saying.

  • FG fears grid collapse as power generation hits 5,313MW

    FG fears grid collapse as power generation hits 5,313MW

    Nigeria’s power generation rose to a three-year high of 5,313mw on Monday, the Ministry of Power has said. This is contained in a staement issued by Mr Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communication and Media Relations to the Minister of Power , Mr Adebayo Adelabu.

    Adelabu, therefore urged Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to take more energy in order to prevent a grid collapse.

    ”When power is produced and  not picked by the DisCos, it could lead to grid collapse as frequency drops. Efforts will be made to encourage industries to purchase bulk energy,” he said.

    Recall the federal government had pledged to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity before the end of the year. During his ministerial address in Abuja while presenting achievements of his ministry since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, Adelabu, said the country’s power generation rose to 5,000MW on May 3.

    Adelabu vowed that power generation in Nigeria would hit 6,000MW before the end of this year, going by the improvements he said recorded in the sector in 2023.