The Anambra-owned FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company (FpEDC) has appealed to customers in the state to bear with it over the ongoing poor power supply, saying the situation is beyond its control.
FpEDC made the appeal in a statement signed by its Head of Communications, Mr Izunna Okafor, on Thursday in Awka.
Okafor said the drop in electricity supply was caused by nationwide generation challenges rather than operational failure by the company.
He explained that electricity distribution companies operate only at the final stage of the electricity value chain and are not responsible for power generation or determining the volume of electricity transmitted to states.
According to him, electricity supplied to Anambra is generated in other parts of the country and transmitted through the national grid before reaching interface stations that distribute power within the state.
“Whenever national electricity generation declines, the amount allocated to every distribution company across Nigeria automatically drops,” he said.
Okafor noted that Nigeria had recently experienced a major reduction in electricity generation due to a severe shortage of natural gas required by thermal power plants, which produce most of the electricity on the national grid.
He added that the situation was worsened by an explosion on the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline in December last year, which disrupted the operations of several gas-fired power plants.
According to him, another major challenge facing the sector is the huge debts owed to generation companies within the electricity market.
He said the liabilities, estimated at about N6 trillion, had significantly weakened the ability of power producers to procure sufficient gas needed to operate their plants at optimal capacity.
Okafor also noted that the ongoing Israel–U.S.–Iran conflict had caused an immediate scarcity of petroleum products and a spike in prices, further complicating Nigeria’s energy sector.
“Thermal plants rely heavily on natural gas to generate electricity, and the shortage has forced several generating units to shut down or operate below their installed capacity,” he said.
On the planned protest by customers in Anambra, Okafor said the company recognised the constitutional right of citizens to express their grievances but appealed for understanding.
He noted that protests directed at distribution companies might not yield the desired outcome since the root causes of electricity shortages originate from the generation segment, which is outside the control of distribution firms.
Okafor, however, reassured customers that FirstPower remained committed to transparency, fair billing, regulatory compliance and improved customer engagement in Anambra.
He added that electricity supply to the state would improve once national generation increases and higher allocations are made to distribution companies.