…says shortage, a national generation problem, not a situation created by FirstPower or EEDC.
Awka, Nigeria — The iNews Times | Electricity distribution firm, FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FPEDL), has appealed to residents of Anambra State not to embark on protests over the ongoing Anambra power outage, insisting that the electricity shortage is caused by national generation challenges beyond its control.
The company, however, reiterated its commitment to transparency, fair billing practices, regulatory compliance and continuous customer engagement, while assuring consumers that efforts are ongoing across the power sector to address the Anambra power outage and improve electricity supply.
The reassurance was contained in a statement issued by the firm’s Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor, following reports of planned protests by aggrieved electricity consumers over the current Anambra power outage affecting several communities.
According to the company, the present electricity shortage is fundamentally a national generation problem and not a situation created by FirstPower or the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), nor is it a challenge peculiar to Anambra State.
The iNews Times reported that Electricity Consumers plan to Protest FirstPower, EEDC Over Poor Supply in Anambra.
While acknowledging the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful expression and public demonstrations, the firm said protests directed at it may not achieve the intended outcome since the core constraints affecting the Anambra power outage lie at the electricity generation and gas supply stages of the power value chain.
It added that several other states that previously experienced similar protests are still battling the same generation constraints because the problem originates from upstream challenges within Nigeria’s national power system.
FirstPower also expressed appreciation for the resilience, patience and understanding of its customers across Anambra State, assuring that stakeholders across the power sector, including generation companies, gas suppliers, grid operators, regulators and government authorities are actively working to resolve the challenges responsible for the Anambra power outage.
The company further assured residents that electricity supply to the state would improve as soon as national generation capacity increases and power allocations to distribution companies rise.
Part of the statement read:
“The Management of FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FPEDL) wishes to clarify and address the concerns of our customers across Anambra State regarding the recent significant drop in electricity supply being experienced in various communities.
“We fully understand the inconvenience and disruption that irregular electricity supply causes to households, businesses, institutions and industries. As a company responsible for electricity distribution in the state, we believe it is important to provide transparent and factual explanations about the current situation.
“This statement clarifies the root causes of the present supply challenges, the actual role of FirstPower in the electricity value chain, and the ongoing efforts to improve service delivery.”
Explaining the structure of Nigeria’s electricity sector, the company noted that the industry operates through a three-tier value chain comprising Generation Companies (GenCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and Distribution Companies (DisCos).
FirstPower explained that it operates strictly within the distribution segment, meaning it does not generate electricity or control the volume of power transmitted to the state.
Electricity distributed in Anambra, the company said, is generated by GenCos, transmitted through infrastructure managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria and then allocated to distribution companies such as FirstPower.
According to the firm, the Anambra power outage is largely linked to a decline in national electricity generation caused by gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants that produce the majority of Nigeria’s electricity.
The situation worsened following an explosion on the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline on December 10, which disrupted operations at several power plants.
Although the issue was later resolved, new challenges emerged in January relating to outstanding debts owed by the Federal Government to Generation Companies.
The statement disclosed that the debts reportedly rose to over ₦6 trillion as of early 2026, weakening the ability of GenCos to procure gas required to run their power plants at optimal capacity.
It further noted that recent international developments, including tensions linked to the Israel-US-Iran conflict, have contributed to spikes in petroleum prices, further complicating Nigeria’s energy supply chain.
Operational data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) also indicated that national electricity generation dropped significantly as thermal plants are receiving less than half of the gas required for optimal performance.
Thermal power plants, the company explained, require about 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, but only about 652.92 million standard cubic feet have recently been available.
This shortfall has forced several generating units to shut down or operate below capacity, leading to a major reduction in electricity available on the national grid and contributing directly to the Anambra power outage.
As a result, grid operators have implemented nationwide load shedding to stabilise the power system.
FirstPower disclosed that before the current generation crisis, Anambra State received an average daily allocation of about 164.66 megawatts through four TCN interface stations—Awada, GCM, Agu-Awka and Nibo.
However, the current average allocation has dropped to about 74.13 megawatts, representing a shortfall of roughly 90.53 megawatts, meaning more than half of the electricity previously supplied to the state is presently unavailable.
The company said the drastic drop has made it impossible to maintain previous levels of electricity supply across the state.
To manage the limited electricity available, FirstPower said it has introduced controlled load management across feeders, allowing different communities to receive electricity at different times of the day.
The company also addressed concerns about metering, noting that meter penetration in Anambra currently stands between 40 and 45 percent, leaving about 55 to 60 percent of customers yet to be metered.
It explained that under the Federal Government’s National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), 13,000 meters were allocated to EEDC, out of which 5,960 meters were distributed within Awka, Obosi and Onitsha feeders.
FirstPower added that about 179,000 additional meters are expected under the programme, with approximately 90,000 projected to be allocated to the company.
In the meantime, the company disclosed that it has established a functional meter laboratory in Onitsha capable of producing about 2,500 meters daily and currently has over 5,000 prepaid meters available for purchase.
The firm urged customers to report cases of energy theft, illegal connections and meter bypass, warning that such activities increase energy consumption recorded at transformer level and may lead to higher bills for legitimate customers.
FirstPower reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and customer service, assuring residents that appropriate billing adjustments, refunds or energy credits would be applied where overbilling is established in line with regulatory guidelines.
