Kaduna, Nigeria – Frustrated electricity consumers in Kaduna have called for compensation and immediate solutions to persistent power supply challenges, following the collapse of the national grid and recurring outages in the state.
The demand was made during a three-day Customers’ Complaint Summit organized by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Kaduna. Stakeholders, including businesses and residents, voiced their grievances and urged the government and electricity providers to address the dire situation.
Sanjeev Kumar and Vaibhav Lakhole, executives at R.H. Plastics Limited, detailed significant financial losses incurred by their company due to power disruptions.
“As a production company, we depend on reliable electricity to meet customer demands. Operating with generators is unsustainable due to high costs. In October alone, we lost ₦60 million in 10 days because of the grid collapse,” Kumar lamented.
The company, one of Kaduna Electric’s largest consumers, utilizes over 500,000 kWh monthly and pays ₦100 million. Despite this, power outages, low voltage, and fluctuations have hampered their productivity, causing waste and unmet customer demands.
“We demand compensation and concrete steps to prevent a recurrence of such disruptions,” Kumar emphasized.
Band A customers, entitled to a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily, reported receiving less than 16 hours, further straining their businesses and livelihoods. Many expressed fears of a gradual collapse of their enterprises if the situation persists.
Aisha Mahmud, NERC’s Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, clarified that compensation for grid collapses was outside the remit of distribution companies (DisCos). However, she reassured attendees of NERC’s commitment to ensuring fair treatment and resolving complaints, stating, “We are here to ensure that customers are not exploited. Technical issues requiring site visits will be addressed subsequently.”
Umar Abubakar, Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, reiterated the company’s dedication to resolving customer complaints while appealing for community cooperation to curb transformer vandalism.
Representing Governor Uba Sani, Idris Idris, Managing Director of the Kaduna State Power Supply Company, highlighted the state’s investments in improving power infrastructure.
“Reliable power is the cornerstone of any modern society, yet its inadequacy hampers socio-economic growth. Kaduna State has taken deliberate steps to promote ease of doing business and attract investments to enhance electricity distribution,” Idris noted.
The governor urged collaboration among stakeholders, including the NERC, DisCos, and residents, to ensure a sustainable power supply and expanded access for underserved communities.
The summit underscores the critical role of electricity in economic growth and the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address Nigeria’s power challenges.
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