Offa Residents Petition Power Minister Over Poor Electricity Supply

Date: 2025-01-26

Residents of Offa, an ancient town in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, have petitioned the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, calling for urgent infrastructural improvements at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Business Hub in the area.

The petition, submitted under the banner of the Ibolo Consumers Advocacy of Nigeria (ICAN), was signed by the organisation's President, Engineer Tajudeen Iwalola, Secretary Shehu Olanrewaju, and Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yinka Ajibade. It highlights the poor state of electricity supply in Offa and its neighbouring communities.

It would be recalled that in August 2024, The Acting managing director of the IBEDC, Engineer Francis Agoha, led the management team of the company to commission a new business hub in Offa, to serve Offa and Oyun local government areas of the state.

The advocacy group, which said that towns in Offa and Oyun local government areas thrive on commerce, education and trade, added that they had been negatively affected by unstable power supply, raising concerns over long-term development prospects.

The electricity distribution company was being accused of purchasing insufficient megawatt capacity from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), leading to frequent load rejections. This, the group, claimed had resulted in erratic power supply, with businesses and households experiencing prolonged blackouts.

ICAN called on the minister to direct IBEDC to procure an adequate electricity supply to eliminate load rejection and stabilize power distribution.

“The Offa Business Hub, which serves over 70,000 customers, suffers from frequent load rejections due to IBEDC's inability to purchase sufficient megawatt capacity from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). This has led to unreliable electricity supply, adversely affecting residents, institutions, and businesses.

“The Offa Feeder, which serves over 30,000 consumers, is reportedly one of the longest and most overburdened feeders in the region.

“Major infrastructural issues include: the two existing 7.5 MVA transformers, installed in 1963, are in a deteriorating state, leaking transformer oil and at risk of total failure.

“The current 35mm conductor is inadequate for the growing demand, leading to power fluctuations and inefficiencies.

“ICAN is urging the government to replace these ageing transformers with modern alternatives and upgrade the conductors to a 150mm capacity for improved power transmissions.

“Currently, Offa, Township, Industrial, and Igosun receive only 1–2 hours of electricity daily, while Owode and Ojoku receive less than four hours. This is far below the 12-hour daily supply mandated by NERC regulations for urban and suburban areas. This insufficient power supply has negatively impacted education, healthcare, business operations, and overall quality of life in Offa and its environs.

“The erratic supply has had devastating effects on businesses, education, and healthcare services in Offa. Schools struggle with digital learning, hospitals face challenges in running medical equipment, and businesses are forced to rely on expensive alternative power sources”, the group said.

“ICAN subsequently recommended that the Honourable Minister intervene and direct IBEDC to purchase sufficient megawatt capacity from TCN to eliminate load rejection, replace outdated transformers and upgrade the undersized conductors, ensure a minimum of 12 hours of electricity supply daily in line with NERC regulations and distribute prepaid meters with consumer-friendly payment options”.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Esinrogunjo     Chief Imam Of Ilorin     Peter Obi     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Dunmade     Sidikat Alaya     Kemi Adeosun     Gbajabiamila     Abubakar Lah     Saka Abimbola Isau     Shehu Adaramaja     Issa Oloruntogun     Okala Baba     Oro Grammar School     Sobi FM     Smart School     Valsolar     Kwara Basketball Association     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Adeola Abraham     Kayode Alabi     Afusat Nike Ibrahim     CUTI     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Binta Abubakar Mora     Balikis Jawondo     Atiku     Ifelodun     Nigerian Medical Association     Isiaka Oniwa     Face Masks     ARMTI     Sunset Workers     Tunde Yusuf     Saka Saadu     Ibrahim Labaika     Ramat Oganija     Saeedat Aliyu     Hakeem Lawal     Idris Garuba     TIIDELab     Ajike People Support Centre     Sheikh Ariyibi     Alfa Yahaya Road     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Shuaib Olarongbe     Ghali Alaaya     Code Of Conduct Bureau     Baakini     Ilorin Water Reticulation     Bond     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Oladimeji Thompson     Roseline Oni Aremu     Joseph Daudu     Offa     Bluenile Associates     Gbugbu International Market     Saadu Yusuf     Owo Isowo     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Dasuki Belgore     Alao Ayotunde     Kwara Polytechnic     Gani Saadu     Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     Muritala Awodun     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Kubra Kazum     Ayobola Ipinlaiye     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Lawal Arinola Kudirat     Emir Of Ilorin     Awili Pedro    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bond     Funmilayo Braithwaite     Oba Abdulrahim     Yusuf Lanre Badmas     Lanre Olosunde     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Gbenga Awoyale     Adesoye     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Femi Gbajabiamila     Cornelius Adebayo     Razak Atunwa     Ohoro Of Shao     Kwara State Television     Earlyon Technologies     Wasiu Onidugbe     Samuel Olusegun Adedayo     Yaru     Senior Ibrahim Suleiman     Muhammad Toyin Sanusi     Wale Oladepo     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Laduba     Salman Jawondo     Ibrahim Labaika     Student Learning Support Helpline     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Solomon Edoja     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Women Radio     Law School Scholarship     Jare Olatundun     Atunwa     Pakata Patriots     Na\'Allah     Ajike People Support Centre     Pakata Development Association     Bello Oyedepo     Sarakite     Press Release     Illyasu Abdullahi     Tsaragi     Afin Descendants Union Of Odo-Owa     Kwara State Pension Board     COEASU     Ifelodun     Sabitiyu Grillo     Gbugbu International Market     Jide Oyinloye     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Joseph Daudu     Kwara Central     Kwara Liberation Group     Akorede     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Lateef Alagbonsi     Transition Implementation Committee     Peculiar Allowance     Suleiman Ajadi     Ilorin Airport     Doyin Awoyale     Voices Of Tomorrow     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Saka Aleshinloye     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Ojuekun     Yahaya A Paniyaro     Ijakadi     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     SGBN     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Aliyu Muhammed     Senate Presidency     National Democratic Congress     Shola Odetundun     Oye Tinuoye     Bareke