Reps move to pass Bill on electricity theft

Hamisu Ibrahim, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, has affirmed the committee’s commitment to collaborating with relevant House committees to pass a legislation on electricity theft in the country.

During an oversight visit to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Lagos on Monday, Ibrahim expressed concern over the rising incidents of electricity theft across the country. He emphasized that new legislation is essential to addressing this issue and safeguarding the power sector from further abuse.

Ibrahim underscored the importance of collaboration between the committee and electricity distribution companies to ensure efficient and reliable power supply nationwide. He noted that such partnerships would allow the committee to better understand the challenges faced by these companies and work towards providing legislative solutions.

The Chairman commended EKEDC for maintaining its status as the top-rated power distribution company in Nigeria, urging its management and staff to continue their exemplary performance. He explained that the committee’s visit aligns with its legislative mandate to oversee all privatized and concessioned enterprises under the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

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Ibrahim revealed that the committee is committed to working closely with power companies to combat electricity theft by unpatriotic consumers. He highlighted that the House has already passed a motion to expedite the recovery of debts owed to power companies by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Decour Damnemunene, another member of the committee, raised concerns over the current customer categorization in Band A, which he believes has led to many consumers not paying for the electricity they use.

In her remarks, the acting Managing Director of EKEDC, Momoh, provided an overview of the company’s achievements. She noted that EKEDC is the only distribution company in the country that has significantly reduced its Aggregate Technical, Commercial, and Collection (ATC&C) Losses Ratio, from 35% in 2023 to 15.1% in 2024. Momoh also reported that over 700,000 EKEDC customers have been metered.

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Momoh further disclosed that EKEDC is collaborating with the federal government’s Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP) to procure an additional 92,000 meters for its customers. She highlighted the company’s advancements in technology, meter provision, and transformer installations, and pointed out that EKEDC consistently meets its monthly remittance obligations to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Company.

However, Momoh also noted a significant challenge: the company is owed N144 billion by MDAs within its operational area. She specifically mentioned that the Nigerian Military, the Nigerian Police Force, and various state government agencies have failed to settle their debts, creating financial difficulties for the distribution company.