…In several areas in Anambra state including Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Obosi and Awka, residents reported receiving as little as 30 minutes of electricity per week,
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | There is mounting anger and frustration across Anambra State as residents and electricity consumers grapple with persistent and prolonged power outages, alongside what they describe as excessive estimated billing by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and its subsidiary, FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited.
Residents and business owners in Anambra who spoke in separate interviews lamented that the erratic power supply, coupled with high billing, has severely disrupted economic, commercial and household activities.
While many residents hold the distribution companies responsible for the situation, the firms insist the outages are due to nationwide power generation challenges affecting Nigeria’s electricity sector, not operational lapses on their part.
Meanwhile, members of the Electricity Consumers Rights Network in Anambra state recently suspended a planned protest in Awka over security concerns. The protest, led by convener Osita Obi, was intended to draw attention to the worsening power situation and rising estimated bills.
Speaking at a press briefing, Obi said the decision to suspend the demonstration was taken to avoid actions that could threaten peace and stability in the state, especially following security advisories from agencies ahead of the governor’s second-term inauguration.
Findings showed that the prolonged blackout has forced households across all 21 local government areas to rely heavily on generators, with many small businesses shutting down due to the high cost of fuel.
Affected residents said the situation has made it difficult to preserve food, power appliances and access water, as pumping machines depend on electricity.
In several areas in Anambra state including Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Obosi and Awka, residents reported receiving as little as 30 minutes of electricity per week, leaving them to endure intense heat and rising fuel expenses.
A resident of Mkikpa in Onitsha, Mathew Iro, described the situation as unbearable, saying the prolonged outages have left homes in darkness and forced families to spend heavily on petrol.
Similarly, a civil servant, Ifeoma Obiora, said rising fuel costs have worsened the financial strain on households, noting that electricity supply in her area has remained largely unavailable for weeks.
A barber in Ekwulobia, Sunday Akaniro, also decried the situation, saying he spends heavily on fuel daily to keep his business running, despite being placed on a high tariff band without commensurate supply.
Stakeholders have also raised concerns about the broader economic impact, with some industries reportedly scaling down operations or laying off workers due to the high cost of alternative power sources.
However, FirstPower maintained that the situation stems from systemic issues in the national electricity supply chain. Its Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor, explained that distribution companies only handle the final stage of electricity delivery and do not generate power or control transmission levels.
He noted that electricity in Nigeria is generated by GenCos, transmitted through the national grid managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and then distributed by companies like FirstPower.
According to him, any drop in national power generation directly reduces the supply available to distribution companies across the country, including those serving Anambra State.
