An awareness campaign aimed at promoting responsible electricity consumption and discouraging vandalism of power facilities has been launched in Kebbi State by the Kebbi Development Forum (KDF).
The sensitisation and town hall meeting, organised in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), was held on Monday at the Unity Conference Hall in Zuru.
The programme attracted participants from diverse backgrounds, including traditional rulers, members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), the National Association of Welders, as well as youth and women groups.
Discussions at the forum focused on challenges affecting electricity supply, such as low voltage, unstable power supply, prepaid metering, estimated billing practices and the vandalism of electrical infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, KDF Chairman, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, described the forum as a non-profit and non-partisan organisation dedicated to mobilising the state’s human and natural resources for sustainable development.
He explained that the initiative was designed to provide a platform for consumers to express their concerns, raise awareness on efficient electricity usage for economic advancement, and improve understanding of consumers’ rights and obligations.
According to him, the effort would enhance access to quality service, strengthen complaint resolution mechanisms, encourage prompt bill payments, and promote community-based protection of transformers, feeders and other power facilities.
Abubakar stressed the importance of structured engagement between KEDCO, consumers and other stakeholders to build trust and improve service delivery, noting that inadequate awareness remained a major barrier to consumer understanding of their entitlements.
He urged residents to play active roles in ensuring reliable power supply by safeguarding installations, paying electricity bills promptly and reporting faults for swift intervention.
“Electricity should be regarded not only as a source of illumination but as a key driver of economic growth,” he said, adding that it supports agriculture, small-scale enterprises, healthcare, education, water supply and security.
The chairman also commended successive Kebbi State administrations for prioritising improvements in electricity supply, disclosing that the current government had released N650 million to KEDCO for the procurement of a 15MVA transformer and pledged a monthly support of N150 million to boost power access in underserved communities.
In his remarks, the Kebbi Regional Manager of KEDCO, Alhaji Sani Muhammad-Makinu, represented by Mr Iliya Danjuma, clarified that the company was solely responsible for distributing electricity received from generation companies.
He explained that KEDCO paid monthly for the energy supplied, emphasising the importance of customer cooperation in ensuring sustainable service delivery.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Birnin Kebbi Forum, Alhaji Abdussalam Muhammad, said the forum, established in 2023, served as a channel for addressing consumer complaints.
He advised customers to promptly report unresolved issues to KEDCO and escalate them to NERC if necessary, while urging regular payment of electricity bills.
Representing the Emir of Zuru, the Chief of Dabai Chiefdom, Alhaji Suleiman Sami, lauded the initiative, describing electricity as central to modern life and economic development.
He called on participants to apply the knowledge gained to promote efficient, responsible and sustainable use of electricity within their communities.