EKEDC mounts awareness campaign against energy theft
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Nigeria’s leading utility firm, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has embarked on a network-wide awareness campaign against energy theft.
The initiative, the company explained, comes as part of the ongoing efforts to end energy theft in various forms, reduce technical and commercial losses and improve the reliability of power supply to its customers.
Energy theft, which includes meter bypass and tampering, illegal connections, and tampering with electrical infrastructure, has been identified as a significant challenge facing Nigeria’s power sector, the company clarified.
EKEDC estimates that unlawful activities result in substantial loss of revenue annually and ultimately affect the company’s ability to invest in network improvements and provide quality service to paying customers.
It added that energy theft also results in severe safety hazards by illegal channels to utilize electricity.
The company listed the primary objectives of the awareness campaign to include education and sensitization of the public on the detrimental effects of energy theft on their community and the company.
EKEDC stated that it would also highlight the legal repercussions and safety hazards associated with illegal connections and tampering with electrical installations.
It also plans to drive community engagement collaboration with local communities, stakeholders, and government authorities to foster a collective responsibility towards safeguarding the power infrastructure. EKEDC also plans town hall meetings and road shows to drive the message deeper into the nooks and crannies of its franchise area.
The company also intends to deploy reporting mechanisms to encourage customers report any suspected cases of energy theft through the official channels as well as reporting anonymously through established whistle blowing channels.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of EKEDC, Mrs. Rekhiat Momoh leads the appeal to customers to support the organization in its move to eradicate energy theft and other associated illegal activities hindering its growth.
She said “Energy theft is a menace that we need to eliminate in our network and the power sector. We lose billions annually to it and it affects our ability to invest in network expansion and infrastructure upgrade required to bring the desired stable power supply.”
She further advocated against vandalism of the firm’s installations, appealing to customers, communities and other stakeholders to get involved in safeguarding the equipment meant for public use.
Widely acknowledged for its customer-centric approach, EKEDC is a leader in technology, customer experience and service excellence and boasts of excellent performances in the electricity distribution space as it ranks top of the overall ranking by the electricity market regulator, The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
