DisCos, GenCos face licence revocation as power crashes to 2,664MW

Nigeria’s 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and Generation Companies (GenCos) may face licence revocation over poor power supply, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has threatened yesterday.

Electricity supply in Nigeria, which has remained below par since it was privatized 10 years ago has lately gone from bad to worse as the national grid now hovers at about 3,500 mega-watts from the over 4,500MW about a year ago.

Yesterday, the load off-take from the 11 DisCos stood at 3,087MW. Abuja DisCos had the highest load of 478MW for about four states while Yola DisCo covering all the Northeast states had the lowest at 88MW.

As of 7pm yesterday, a meagre 2,664MW was left on the national grid from 21 power plants.

The Minister made this known via his X handle where he revealed that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been instructed to prioritise repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in affected regions.

He added that despite efforts to improve the power supply, the decline is disheartening to witness, noting that the Ministry has been exerting pressure on the GenCos to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW.

He added that despite the progress made, certain DisCos are failing to distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions like Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.

“In response to this pressing issue, I have summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), as well as the Managing Director of the TCN, to a crucial meeting. The purpose is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions.

“During recent supervisory visits to power generating plants, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the sector. Plans are underway to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies, which will alleviate the financial strain and contribute to improved generation levels nationwide. I urge electricity consumers to remain patient as we work tirelessly to address these issues and provide better service to all Nigerians,” he said.