Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has expressed his dissatisfaction with the state’s inconsistent power supply, labeling it as unacceptable.
He voiced concerns that the situation is negatively impacting the local economy and businesses.
The Governor’s remarks came during a recent meeting with Kingsley Achiefe, the Managing Director of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
He urged IBEDC to promptly address the state’s irregular power supply issue and took the opportunity to reveal his power sector agenda.
During the meeting, Governor Adeleke emphasized Osun’s significant role in the Nigerian power sector, noting that Osogbo is home to the National Transmission Control Centre. He stated, “Power outages are contributing to increasing insecurity, and the exploitation of customers through transformer procurement, estimated billing, and the inability of some residents to buy energy due to the outdated metering system is becoming excessive.”
He revealed that Osun is in the process of enacting the State’s Electricity System Law, which will allow the establishment of a Power Sector Regulatory Agency. This agency aims to ensure that the people of Osun State receive proper service within the IBEDC franchise areas. He added, “We are working to enact the Osun Electricity system law, set up a power sector regulatory agency, introduce off-grid options, and expand alternative energy sources.”
In response, the IBEDC Managing Director assured that the company is prepared to collaborate with the Osun State Government to improve their service to customers. He attributed the state’s erratic power supply to a decrease in power generation, revealing that the IBEDC is currently receiving less than 400 megawatts of energy from the generation companies, out of the 1600 megawatts required to power Osun State.
He also pointed out the challenges the company faces, such as vandalism of energy installations and energy theft through meter bypassing, which result in revenue loss. He added that many of the approximately 2800 transformers in Osun State are old and faulty.