The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has explained the cause of recent power outages in several states under its jurisdiction.
The company reported approximately 1,450 incidents of energy theft in the first two months of the year, leading to widespread blackouts.
Affected areas include Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and parts of Kogi, Niger, and Ekiti states.
IBEDC’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Mrs. Busolami Tunwase, issued a statement from Ota, Ogun State, highlighting that the frequent power cuts have caused significant disruption and inconvenience to both residents and businesses.
The company has received numerous complaints from customers about the negative impact of the heat due to the lack of electricity.
Mrs. Tunwase pointed out that a critical issue is the diminished gas supply to power generation companies, resulting in a steady decline in power generation capacity fed into the national grid.
This shortage has directly affected the amount of electricity available for distribution by IBEDC, particularly impacting the regions of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and parts of Kogi, Niger, and Ekiti states.
Additionally, maintenance work carried out by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in January and March 2024 has led to planned power cuts in certain areas.
While these maintenance activities are crucial for the long-term stability of the power infrastructure, IBEDC acknowledges the difficulties they pose and extends its apologies to customers for any inconvenience caused.
The spokesperson also expressed regret over the ongoing challenges of infrastructure vandalism, electricity theft, and the reluctance of customers to pay their bills, all of which continue to adversely affect the power supply.
She added: “Despite these challenges, we remain optimistic that poor supply will soon become a thing of the past as Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has taken urgent steps to address the gas supply issue.
“On energy theft and vandalism, we are currently partnering the security agencies to reduce this vice. However, we urge our customers to remain vigilant, protect electrical infrastructure within their communities and report any suspicious activities promptly.
“We are implementing comprehensive measures to improve and strengthen our infrastructure in order to efficiently distribute the power we receive from the grid.
“We are also urgently exploring alternate sources of power to enable us meet the power supply needed within our franchise.”
