Emma Elekwa
FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited has reiterated its commitment to transparency, fair billing practices, regulatory compliance, and continuous customer engagement.
The distribution company also reaffirmed its commitment to delivering the best possible service with the electricity available to it and would continue to keep the public informed.
The reassurance contained in a statement by the firm’s Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor followed plans protests by aggrieved customers over current electricity situation in Anambra state.
According to the statement, the present electricity shortage is fundamentally a national generation challenge and not a problem created by FirstPower or EEDC, nor challenge specific to Anambra State.
Acknowledging the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful expression and public demonstration, the firm noted that such protests directed at it may therefore not achieve the intended outcome, as the key constraints currently lie at the generation and gas supply stages of the electricity value chain, which are beyond the operational control of FirstPower.
Protests in other states
It explains that several other states that have experienced similar protests continue to face the same generation constraints as the issue originates upstream in the national power system.
Appreciating the resilience, patience, and understanding of its customers across the State, FirstPower assured that stakeholders across the power sector, including generation companies, gas suppliers, grid operators, regulators, and government authorities were actively working to resolve the underlying challenges affecting electricity generation nationwide.
It further assures that electricity supply to the state would correspondingly improve as generation improved and allocations increase.
The statement partly reads, “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 further provide transparent and factual explanations to the public about the current situation.
“This statement therefore clarifies the root causes of the present supply challenges, the actual role of FirstPower in the electricity value chain, and ongoing efforts to improve service delivery.
Not peculiar to Anambra
“FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. wishes to clearly state that the current drop in electricity supply is not peculiar to Anambra State, nor is it caused by any operational failure on the part of the company.
“The Nigerian electricity sector operates through a three-tier value chain, which is (a) Generation Companies (GenCos) which produce electricity; (b) Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) which transmits electricity nationwide; and (c) Distribution Companies (DisCos) which distribute electricity to end users.
“FirstPower operates only in the third and last (Distribution) segment of this chain, meaning that the company does not generate electricity and does not control the volume of electricity transmitted/sent to the state.
“Electricity distributed by FirstPower is generated by GenCos, allocated through the national grid and transmitted through infrastructure managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“Nigeria’s electricity supply has recently declined due to serious gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants, which generate the majority of the country’s electricity.
“The drop started late last year when there was an explosion at Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline on December 10, which disrupted operations of some power plants.
The issue was fixed after about two weeks, and steady supply was restored. Then in January, the issue of the Federal Government debts to GenCos surfaced again.
National grid impact
“GenCos operate thermal power plants that use natural gas to produce electricity.
“They connect their power plants to the national grid, allowing them to transmit generated electricity to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for distribution.
“GENCos sell electricity to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc, which acts as a creditworthy off-taker, ensuring payment to Generation Companies.
“Through this deal, the money owed to the GenCos reportedly rose to over ₦6 trillion as at early 2026.
“This was further complicated by the alleged debate that recently emerged between GenCos and the FG over the actual amount owed.
“Delving deep into the controversy about the actual total amount of the liability may not be necessary here.
“The most important point is that Generation Companies are owed, and that has weakened their ability to procure gas to fire their power plants to operate optimally and produce the required quantum of electricity,” the statement clarified.
