NERC grants power generation, distribution licences to Ariaria market

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says it has granted 9.5 megawatts (MW) embedded electricity generation licence to Ariaria Market Independent Power Plant Ltd in pursuit of overriding interest.

In a statement by the Media Head, Vivian Mbonu, the commission also granted a distribution licence to Ariaria Independent Energy Distribution Network Ltd to distribute the generated energy in the market, near Aba in Abia State. A House of Representatives ad hoc committee on electricity in its effort to curb excessive electricity charges being levied on consumers held an interactive session with electricity consumers in Kano State yesterday.

The session was jointly organised by Kano and Kaduna electricity distribution companies.

The chairman of the committee, Mr. Israel Ajiboye, expressed displeasure with the management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company for sending an inappropriate officer to represent it at the session.

The Chief Operating Officer of Kano Distribution Company (KEDCO), Mr. Raul Sing, said the company had achieved 60 per cent of metering in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states.

He said, “We have purchased 65,000

The licences, issued in line with Section 71(6) of the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005, were granted after careful consideration of the applications in public interest to promote access to common goods and to promote commercialisation and industrialisation for which Ariaria, a leading commercial hub in the country is reputed, NERC noted.

Both licences granted to Ariaria were affirmation of the commission’s commitment and response to the longtime yearnings of the market for a stable, reliable and sustainable electricity supply. meters and distributed same to our customers in the three states. In Jigawa for instance, we have metered all our customers, while in Kano and Katsina states we have reached advanced stage in achieving 100 per cent completion of metering.”

However, Malam Abubakar Lawal, a consumer, blamed KEDCO for placing unwarranted debts on its customers, alleging that “Customers are being tasked to offset accumulated debts that were not actually theirs. I am calling on the committee to consider our plights in this respect.”

Another customer, Yunusa Yahaya told the committee that the electricity company was still charging its customers with crazy bills.

After he tendered three copies of electricity bills to the committee, Yahaya, urged it to verify his claims from other customers.