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Nigerian electricity customers have been given a very helpful tip by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC, on how to bring down their electricity bill.
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According to the acting Chief Executive Officer of EKEDC, Rekhiat Momoh, customers need to adopt energy-saving practices to avoid high bills.
The EKEDC boss gave the advice during the EKEDC Customers Consultative Forum held on Thursday at the Apapa Business Unit in Lagos.
The forum attracted customers from various communities within the Apapa district, including Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amukoko, Badia, Ajegunle, Tolu, Plaza, Idewu, Odofin, Sari, Boundary and Apapa.
Mr. Momoh, represented by the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Joseph Esenwa, emphasised the importance of conscious electricity consumption, particularly in the face of rising energy demands and the ongoing transition to prepaid metering systems.
“Efficient energy use is key to reducing electricity bills. We encourage our customers to turn off appliances when not in use, embrace energy-efficient devices, and avoid leaving lights or electronics on unnecessarily,” she said.
She also highlighted the benefit of prepaid meters, which allow customers to monitor their consumption in real time.
“With prepaid meters, customers can track their usage and avoid surprises on their bills,” Ms. Momoh said.
She also addressed concerns over the higher tariffs associated with Band A, explaining that the pricing reflects the true cost of doing business, including all operational expenses.
She acknowledged the financial burden that higher tariffs place on customers but stressed that it enables the company to provide a more reliable service – a long-standing demand from the public.
“The key issue is simple: people have consistently asked for more power, and Band A allows us to serve them better.
“Naturally, when bills are higher, customers will complain, but we have to accept that these costs are part of doing business.
“We must ensure that we continue providing power despite the challenges,” Ms. Momoh explained.
The EKEDC boss reiterated the company’s commitment to improving service quality and addressing the ongoing challenges related to power outages, metering, and customer complaints.
She said that by updating customer data and ensuring accurate records, the company aimed to strengthen its relationship with customers and enhance service delivery.
“We encourage all our customers to take advantage of this opportunity to update their details,
“This will lead to smoother transactions and better service,” she said.
On the issue of recurring system collapse, Ms Momoh explained that while customers often blame the distribution company, it typically occurs due to issues within the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
She said that despite not having control over the national system failures, EKEDC was committed to managing customer expectations and minimising the impact of such disruptions.
“We strive to minimise the effects of system collapses.
“When power is unavailable, we lose revenue, and prolonged outages lead to customer dissatisfaction.
“But even though we have no control over national power supply, we continue working to mitigate these challenges,” she added.
Ms. Momoh also addressed the ongoing challenges with metering, admitting that achieving full metering across the network would take considerable time due to financial constraints and the high cost of acquiring meters.
She explained that many meters were imported, and the rising cost of foreign exchange had driven up prices.
“Metering is not something we can achieve overnight.
“It requires significant cash flow, and unfortunately, the response rate from customers to purchase their own meters has been lower than expected.
“While EKEDC is working toward full metering, the company has been transparent about the challenges and acknowledges that it will take time to meet the demand,” she explained.
The EKEDC boss said: “As part of its ongoing efforts to improve service delivery, EKEDC has urged customers to update their Know Your Customer (KYC) information.
“This will help the company maintain accurate records, streamline billing processes, and ensure more effective communication with customers.
“Updating your KYC is essential for us to serve you better.
“It allows us to maintain up-to-date customer records, ensuring that any issues or changes in service can be addressed quickly.
“This is also crucial for enhancing our billing system and making sure that your account is properly managed,” she added.
She urged all customers to take the necessary steps to update their details and avoid disruptions in service.
At the forum, the Olu of Iwa and Apapa Kingdom, Oba Mohammed Atanda, condemned attacks on EKEDC workers and equipment by members of the community, stating that such actions are against ethical principles.
He urged residents to support EKEDC in protecting their equipment from vandals.
“If electricity equipment is vandalised in any community, it affects everyone.
“We must ensure that we protect EKEDC’s equipment and avoid tampering with meters and other assets,” he said.
The royal father commended EKEDC for organising the town hall forum as a platform for dialogue, allowing customers to voice concerns and the company to provide solutions.
The Yeye Oge of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom, Chioma Itiaba, also called on residents to safeguard their transformers from vandalism, particularly in the Apapa community where such incidents were frequent.
She urged community leaders to work with security personnel to protect the equipment.
“Vandals often operate between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.
“If security guards are stationed, these incidents can be prevented,” Ms. Itiaba said.
In other news, the International Monetary Fund, IMF, has said that a child born in a resource-rich country (RIC) like Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries today is expected to live four years less on average, and is 25 per cent more likely to live in poverty
In a report themed, “Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is Diverging,” the IMF stated that Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nine of the world’s top 20 fastest-growing economies this year.
Such startling statistics, however, rarely feature in discussions of the region’s outlook, it said, noting that instead, headline figures typically emphasise the relatively modest average economic performance.
This disconnect reflects a two-track growth pattern, where a significant part of the region underperforms, it said.
According to the IMF, over the past ten years, growth in sub-Saharan Africa’s resource-intensive countries (RICs)—and especially in fuel exporting economies such as Angola, Chad, and Nigeria—has slowed down sharply, falling far below growth in non-RICs (such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Senegal).
Indeed, it noted that incomes in RICs have essentially stagnated, marking a sharp contrast with the decade leading up to 2014, when RICs experienced rapid growth, in line with the region’s strong overall performance.
“The post–2014 divergence between RICs and non-RICs has been driven largely by the combination of two factors.
First, RICs and especially fuel exporters experienced a dramatic decline in their commodity export prices around 2014–15, as the commodity “super-cycle”—a period of sharply rising commodity prices—came to an end. Since then, the terms-of-trade decline has only been partially reversed.
“Second, and critically, the impact of the terms-of-trade shock on RICs was exacerbated by pre-existing structural vulnerabilities, including a poor business environment, limited human capital, weak governance, and poor management of resource revenues,” the report said.
It noted that weak governance, systemic corruption, and an unfavorable business climate take a toll on productivity and output, adding that the effects are most striking when commodity prices fall.
“Such weaknesses affect both the resource sector itself and prospects for the economy diversifying into other sectors. For instance, the potential for theft of oil production undermines productive efficiency and diverts precious resources from more productive uses.
“Or weak governance can be a central impediment for private sector investment more broadly. Fuel exporters outside the region, with generally stronger governance, have weathered the commodity price slump far better,” the report said.
According to the IMF, staff analysis confirms that terms-of-trade shocks have a stronger and longer-lasting impact on growth in countries with weak governance.
“We estimate that for every one-per cent worsening in a country’s terms of trade, medium-term growth is around ¼ percentage point higher in countries with smaller governance challenges,” it said.
The report explained that fiscal policy in RICs, including in sub-Saharan Africa, is generally far more correlated with economic shocks, intensifying their effects, compared to other countries.
“For instance, when commodity prices are high, many RICs, particularly fuel exporters, have embarked on costly capital projects that are often poorly planned and implemented, with corresponding sharp reductions in capital spending when commodity prices fall.
“In addition, many fuel exporters also provide sizable fuel subsidies, the cost of which increases as oil prices rise, limiting their ability to save during booms, while crowding out growth-friendly development spending.
“The average oil-exporting country in sub-Saharan Africa has since 2011 consistently spent all its oil revenues in the year when they accrued,” the report said.
On the way forward, the IMF report argued that reversing the growth divergence is a regional priority, as RICs make up about two-thirds of sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) and population.
“It is also a humanitarian priority. Poor growth performance has translated into poor development outcomes—progress in tackling poverty in RICs effectively halted in 2014.
“Compared to children in other parts of the region, a child born in a RIC today is expected to live 4 years less on average, and is 25 percent more likely to live in poverty.
“Reigniting durable growth will require a stable macroeconomic environment. More prudent and consistently implemented fiscal frameworks can help address poor resource management challenges – and also help ensure growth is more resilient going forward.
“Further, broad-based reforms to address structural weaknesses – strengthening governance, enhancing the business environment, accumulating human capital, and addressing infrastructure bottlenecks – can help countries diversify and grow.
“And for fuel exporters, facing the global green-energy transition, the need to diversify is ever more urgent,” it concluded.
