Eko Disco earmarks N50b for prepaid metering scheme

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has unveiled plans to expend about N50 billion to meet the prepaid metering requirement of its network in the next three years.

The Managing Director, EKEDC, Oladele Amoda, who disclosed this during the quarterly press briefing in Lagos said the company has set plans in motion to install meters for about 400,000 electricity customers in the network.

However, Amoda berate the frustrating attitude of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) towards the fixing of its damaged facility in Lekki-Ajah-Ibeju area of Lagos.

Amoda said the company has already taken delivery of 7,500 maximum demand meters and 50,000 non-maximum demand meters, procured at a about N5.8 billion.

“These meters constitute only the first phase of our metering plan that will see all our close to 400,000 customers metered free of charge,” he said, adding that, “installation of the first phase meters has already begun, though it will not be possible to reach all customers at the same time, the assurance for all customers is that at the end, everyone will be metered with smart meters free of charge,”

He further noted that those customers that cannot wait for their turn can get their meters immediately through the Credited Advance Payment for Metering (CAPMI) scheme.

Amoda said that, “altogether, a total of N50 billion will be expended to cover all customers within the next three years”.

Recounting the company ordeal in the past two years of operations, Amoda said despite the huge expenses and expansion programme, the sector may not have recorded instant turn around because the rot of over several decades will be so hard to revive in two years.

He regretted the unfortunate electrocution at University of Lagos, assuring that the company will do the necessary and has commenced plan to ensure that all cables are buried underground.

“We shall work in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) to ensure safety and conformity to standards,” he said.

Amoda however appealed to electricity consumers in Lekki0-Ajah- Ibeju axis for the outage, linking it to a fault on the Ajah transmission station.

Affected areas are Lekki Penisula, Oniru Estate, Lekki phase one, Ajah, Ibeju and other neighbouring communities.

The Eko Disco said the station has been experiencing frequent breakdown due to poor 33kv breaker bus bar that is moisture, and needed to be completely replaced.

The company claimed to have negotiated with the TCN and the National Independent Power Projects (NIPP) on immediate recovery of supply, but they insisted that the project is still under warrantee, therefore expecting that Pivot- the constructor and Siemens should do the needful.

Meanwhile, the customers continued to stay in darkness, with hope fading away.