During the current controversy surrounding the new electricity tariff and amidst the persistent issue of insufficient power supply, electricity generation plummeted to 2,775 megawatts (MW) yesterday, marking a significant 32.3 percent decrease from the 4,099.87MW recorded the previous week.
The information was included in the data published by the Nigeria Electricity System Operator (NESO), which is a semi-autonomous division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Roven’s research revealed that there has been no enhancement in the power value chain, even after the recent assessment of Band A power consumers’ billing. This is due to insufficient gas supply to thermal stations and the substandard condition of transmission lines. Power generation has been averaging 4200 megawatts this year.
According to data from the Independent System Operator (ISO), as of 6 pm yesterday, the total load allocation to the eleven DisCos was 2,775.00 Megawatts. Among them, Abuja Disco received the highest allocation at 428MW, followed by Ikeja Electric at 422MW, Eko Disco at 359MW, Ibadan Disco at 335MW, Benin Disco at 227MW, and Enugu Disco at 200MW.
The distribution companies with the smallest allocations were as follows:
Yola Disco at 79MW
Jos Disco at 158MW
Kaduna Disco at 181MW
Kano Disco at 188MW
Port Harcourt Disco at 198MW
This indicated that the generation capacity was insufficient for distributing electricity to households and businesses across various regions of the country. As a result, Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) resorted to load shedding to allocate the limited electricity to a wider audience at different intervals.
The supply shortage has led some Distribution Companies (Discos) to address their customers via social media. For instance, Ibadan Disco released a public statement titled “List of Band A Feeders with Unmet Hours of Service (11th, April 2024).” In this announcement, they apologized for the inability to provide the expected hours of service on specific feeders due to earth faults on the 33kv lines. They reassured customers of their dedication to meeting the estimated supply hours.
