Aba Power’s reliable electricity supply to nine of the 17 local government areas of Abia State under a Ring fenced (RfA) arrangement since its inauguration in 2024, has attracted accolades from the Aba Landlords and Development Association (ALPADA), a 22,000 member group.
The landlords group, led by its president-general, Leonard Onyemesiri and national patron, Alphonsus Udeigbo, said they were particularly pleased with Aba Power, Nigeria’s 12th electricity distribution and generation company, for supplying the entire RFA customers with uninterrupted power at a time the country was suffering from ceaseless collapses of the national grid.
The national grid, a 132 KVA power facility, built in 1962, has reportedly collapsed six times this year, plunging the entire country into utter darkness.
ALPADA said they were honoring Bart Nnaji, founder of Geometric Power Ltd, which operates Apa Power, with an award, for providing regular power supply to the Ring fenced area.
Ugo Opiegbe, the managing director of Aba Power, told some journalists that the vote of confidence by the 22,000-member Aba landlords will spur the electricity distribution company to do more.
At the weekend, the influential ALPADA stormed the Aba Power’s premises with an award for providing “unprecedented constant, quality, and affordable electric power in nine of the 17 local government areas (LGAs) it serves in Abia State”.
“We are honoured by this award coming at a time most Nigerians have been critical about the electricity situation across the country”, Opiegbe, the managing director of the power utility, declared in an online interview with some journalists.
“It’s doubtful that there has been in Nigeria’s recent history where a key stakeholder like a large association of landlords has so publicly appreciated the work of a power distribution company in this manner. It will spur us to do more because the reward for hard work is more work”.
The ALPADA said they were in Aba Power’s premises just to show appreciation because they have never had it so good in terms of electric power supply, which is delivered with a keen sense of service
Opiegbe stated that one of the things Aba Power has done to boost power supply within the Aba Ring Fenced Area, as a justification of the honour from the landlords, was to commission a 41-kilometre dedicated power line to Ukwa East LGA to boost electricity supply in the area.
The area, sharing boundaries with Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, has a lot of industries and critical infrastructure, he explained, “and is growing rapidly because of reliable electricity in Aba and its environs which is attracting investments from the neighbouring states and beyond.
The new power line was built by an indigenous contractor at the cost of over N2 billion, according to the electricity executive.
He said that the proactive Aba Power business model, which has seen it provide prepaid meters free of charge to over 90 percent of its customers despite starting operations just three years ago, has gone a long way to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
“Unlike at the beginning when we used to embed security men in our revenue collection teams for fear of attack by recalcitrant and difficult consumers, customers now vend for electricity tokens in the comfort of their homes and offices using the Nkeanyi App developed by Aba Power to simplify meter recharges. Some customers also willingly and without stress choose to visit our various offices located within the ring fenced area to settle their bills without arguments.
“The trust is such that whenever members of the public see any person vandalizing the electricity distribution infrastructure in the Aba Ring-fenced Area, they confront him and then report to us to follow up. Trust is the basis of our relationship with the Aba people,” the electricity company boss explained.
