Nigeria experienced a significant drop in electricity generation, falling by 16.4% Week-on-Week, from 4,187.6 MW to 3,501.20 MW. The decline, observed yesterday, was attributed to several factors, including the poor state of power plants and a shortage of gas supply to thermal plants.
As a consequence of this situation, Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) have resorted to load shedding measures to distribute the limited electricity to consumers at different times. This approach aims to ensure that as many people as possible have access to electricity, albeit on a rotational basis.
In the midst of these challenges, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reported that eleven DISCOs have applied for a rate review. The rate review request is motivated by the need to incorporate changes in macroeconomic parameters and other factors that affect the quality of service, operational efficiency, and sustainability of the companies.
In other related news, Powercom Smart Grid Nigeria (PSGN) has recently acquired Kano Electricity Distribution Plc (KEDCO). PSGN, a subsidiary of Powercom, specializes in providing an end-to-end Smart Grid/Smart Metering turnkey solution. With this acquisition, KEDCO has the opportunity to implement a comprehensive turnaround plan focused on enhancing performance and efficiency.
The PSGN Turnaround Plan for KEDCO aims to address various challenges faced by the distribution company and transform it into a highly efficient and financially viable electricity distributor, serving 5 million customers. The plan encompasses strategies for revenue enhancement, operational performance optimization, revenue collection, customer service improvement, and overall system reliability.
Moreover, PSGN will provide KEDCO with smart electricity endpoints, along with a complete backbone infrastructure to manage the grid. The project aims to upgrade the existing distribution grid into a modern platform, tackling issues such as revenue enhancement, energy losses reduction, debt recovery, outage reduction, grid optimization, asset recording, asset protection, peak load management, workforce automation, operational expenditure reduction, and improved customer service. PSGN’s “turnkey” solution includes a Vending Platform and a Control Room with GIS visualization for efficient grid management.
