Nigeria: FG Urged to Sanction AEDC, TCN for Blackout in Abuja

8 January 2025

Daily Trust (Abuja)

By Faruk Shuaibu

The president of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo has faulted the power outages in Abuja, urging the federal government to sanction the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

Recall that the TCN and AEDC had announced a planned blackout in some areas of Abuja for 16 days starting from January 6 to 21.

A statement by Olubiyo said losses to be incurred by the blackout will be hugely devastating on electricity users in Abuja, saying bulk users of manufacturers, small, micro, medium and large scale enterprises (SMEs), could lose several billions of dollars throughout the period.

He described the planned power outages as the height of irresponsibility on the part of the power firm and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to consider sanctions against the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company with a view to restoring sanity in the electricity value chain.

He added, "We have received several calls from our women folks and housewives and others who have complained bitterly about the cost of these planned outages on their soup ingredients and stockpiles of perishable items kept in their refrigerators.

"There are women and housewives that have stocked their refrigerators with soup and delicacies that could ordinarily have lasted them for one month or two months or more.

"One could imagine the cost of unscheduled power outages to our women and an average poor family struggling coping with the prevailing global high-cost living.

He said the Transmission Company of Nigeria and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company should have sought for money to build a backup transmission substation at the proposed new site.

Upon completion, he said the AEDC and Transmission Company of Nigeria can then string the network/ cable (132KV/ 330KV Transmission Network) in collaboration with Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) / FCT Administration.

He emphasised the urgent need for presidential intervention to minimise the effects of the developmental projects by the FCT Administration.

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