SMEs, Medical Facilities May Collapse In Anambra Due To Poor Electricity
A fashion entrepreneur in her 20s, Ijeoma Collins, lives in Amansea Garki, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, which has become accustomed to a lack of stable electricity.
Amansea connects Enugu and Anambra States and has a population of over 5000 households. The community is also home to a growing number of businesses that require stable electricity for survival.
Since Collins moved to the area over two years ago, her business has recorded more operational costs that eat into her profit. The regular hike in Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) has worsened the situation for her business.
The electricity voltage supplied daily is not strong enough to start her sewing machines while the fuel price has also moved from about N300 (two years ago) to about N1000 presently.
From a five-man staff in 2023 to barely two in 2025, the poor electricity situation reduced production efficiency and profit margins. She spends an average of N120,000 on fuel weekly as against the N60,000 she used to spend monthly in 2023.
“I do not mind recharging my meter but where is the light? I barely even have clients anymore,” she lamented. “The ones who manage to come here often say my service is expensive. Would you blame them? Honestly, I have thought of just folding up, but how will I survive?”
Many small-scale business and their owners are going through similar frustrations in Anambra State, with no respite in sight for them.
As economic hardship bites harder, residents of Anambra who spoke to THE WHISTLER decry inefficient electricity distribution and rising energy costs. Some residents are frustrated for not being able to use their domestic and business appliances or losing them due to constant low electricity voltage.
Others have reported no power supply for weeks, even months, and criticised the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) for not responding to customers’ concerns.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has categorised consumers to improve access. Band A consumers are entitled to a minimum of 20 Hours; Band B – 16 Hours; Band C – 12 Hours; Band D – 8 Hours and Band E – 4 Hours, daily under the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) classification.
However, this has not brought changes to the electricity supply situation in Anambra State.
Semi-Hell Situation
The hope of remaining in business for Chibuike Ikeh, a block manufacturer, now depends on his ability to partner with other business owners to acquire personal transformers.
Ikeh, whose business is located in Amansea, told THE WHISTLER that his equipment could not function with the low voltage usually supplied.
He spends N30,000 daily on diesel to power a generator required for his machines to operate maximally.
“The situation is very hard because you cannot get that 3-Phase in sync with their low current supply. So, most of the income that would have gone into my pocket goes to maintaining the generator and buying diesel,” he said.
Another block manufacturer, Haffold Obieso, in his 60s, said his business is hanging on a cliff. He had partnered with a fellow entrepreneur ten years ago to buy electricity meter, cables and others needed to connect their businesses to the power grid. Both contributed N1.5m each.
However, the investment failed due to the appalling supply of electricity to the area. The low voltage and supply irregularities, according to Obieso, caused his colleague to close his business.
”We didn’t enjoy the meter for one day,” said Obieso. “This was part of the reason my colleague’s business folded up. He asked me to pay him his contribution to the investment or sell the items to generate money. I had to pay him.”
To make matters worse, electricity supply lines have been destroyed and they have not had power supply for nearly three years now. Obieso said he now spends N35,000 on gas every day to power his machines.
Obieso, who once had two machines producing approximately 2,000 blocks daily before criminals invaded his factory and carted away equipment, now produces about 1,000 blocks daily with the only machine left.
THE WHISTLER observed that block manufacturers in the area have returned to manual block moulding, an obsolete form of production due to high cost of fuel and its effect on pricing.
Hospitals Are Also Sick
Hospitals in the state are also sick from the poor electricity supply. The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital is not exempted, with one of its outstations in the Abagana area of Anambra said to be experiencing “worrisome” electricity supply.
A senior doctor in the teaching hospital who pleaded anonymity for ‘threat to job security’, told THE WHISTLER that staff suffer reduced productivity while patients are put in discomfort from heat.
“Those in admin experience difficulties typing official documents, and sometimes simple office procedures like nebulisation of asthmatic patients with a nebulizer can be tedious because the last one I did, we had to go to the staff quarters for me to have access to light,” the source revealed.
Private hospitals in the state do not fare any better. Hospitals surveyed include Kepol Hospital Maternity, Ihiala; Marion-Rose Specialist Hospital & Orthopedic Centre, Nnewichi, Nnewi; Jandi Orthopedic Consultants, Awka and Nelson Patience Hospital & Maternity, Ifite, Awka.
Kepol Hospital Maternity (KHM) and Marion-Rose Specialist Hospital (MRSH) have an average of 2-4 hours of electricity supply daily.
While KHM has had “no power supply in over two years” and the cost of “operating a generator set eats deep into the hospital’s overhead costs”, MRSH pays N100,000 monthly on prepaid meters despite poor power supply.
Jandi Orthopedic Consultants (JOC) and Nelson Patience Hospital & Maternity (NPHM), however, enjoy 14-16 and 18-20 Hours of power supply daily, respectively.
On March 11, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) listed Anambra and 16 other states while issuing an advisory warning of extreme heat stress due to rising temperatures and high humidity levels.
With the heatwave and the inefficient electricity distribution in the state, hospitals in the state described the implication as ”increasing the stress level and decreased sleep quality.”
Policy Framework & Lapses
Section 2(2) of the Electricity Act 2023 empowers state governments in Nigeria to create their electricity markets independent of federal control.
While Section 63 of the Act allows the licensing of state-level electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) despite an existing DISCO, Section 74 empowers the state to set up its electricity regulatory commission.
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) is the sole DISCO in the South East region. However, Enugu and Imo States have their regulatory commissions to oversee customer protection, set performance standards and ensure power supply regulations among others.
With Abia State working to establish its regulatory body, the reality is different for Anambra which is yet to initiate a similar measure.
According to the National President of Association for Public Policy Analysis, and Energy Security Expert, Princewill Okorie, “The consumer protection component of the law is not being implemented in Anambra State,” he said, noting it’s the reason the EEDC operates below par.
The situation, especially the low voltage, is one of the leading causes for the increase of private transformer ownerships in the state. THE WHISTLER gathered that it cost an average of N15m to purchase and install a 50KVA Transformer.
President General of Amansea Community Development, Christian Ughanze told THE WHISTLER that “majority of our people here have now resorted to individual purchases of Transformers. At least I know about four people who got 50 KVA Transformers.”
“We have been told that the low voltage is a result of inadequate and dilapidated transformers because of the growth of people in this community. The little Transformers we have are no longer enough.
“That is why some wealthy ones do that for themselves while the majority of the masses suffer from the epileptic power supply and the fluctuations,” Ughanze said.
The story is the same across sub-urban areas of the state. Transformer break downs are common and EEDC has no sustainable repair structure.
Transformers vulnerable include the one along Ofenochi Abagana supplying electricity to Otenyi Nimo; transformer in Amudo main, near Amaku hospital; transformer in Ezigbo in Amanse and transformer in Eziokpokikolo in Isu Aniocha community.
Others include transformer in G & P, Umukabia 3; transformer in Okachi mputa; transformer in Igwe extension Okpuno area; transformer in St Jude Junction, Nnewi and transformer in Amawa Ogbunike, etcetera.
EEDC’s Response
National Coordinator, Electricity Consumers Right Network (ECRN), Comrade Osita Obi told THE WHISTLER that residents find it difficult to acquire new electricity meter while it is also frustrating trying to service an old one.
Obi said the major electricity challenge in Anambra is the EEDC’s lack of capacity to provide new transformers to replace the “obsolete transformers,” which are also inadequate for the growing population.
“It is also unfortunate how the privatisation of electricity distribution in the southeast is a hoax. I keep saying that the EEDC needs to be unbundled to allow for capable investors and healthy competition,” Obi added.
Obi set up a WhatsApp platform, called the Electricity Consumer Right Network, which has over 540 members including EEDC’s top officials.
On the platform, residents report daily on the state of electricity in their communities, which are either verbally addressed or on lucky days, physically addressed.
THE WHISTLER contacted the DISCO’s Corporate Communication Department in Enugu State, led by Emeka Ezeh, who coincidentally is also on the WhatsApp platform, to address issues related to the Disco’s reported inefficiency in the state.
While addressing a complaint on the platform on April 2, regarding the absence of electricity supply to an area in Amansea for nearly five months, Ezeh said the transformer responsible had a debt of N161m, and its users were yet to pay 50 per cent of the debt.
He said, “EEDC is faced with funds constraints, largely caused by nonpayment of electricity bills by customers.
“If we have the finances, we can effectively deal with faults, but where customers are not paying, it becomes challenging.
“I think it is about time we started seeing the electricity sector as a business enterprise that survives solely on the bills paid by customers. When customers do not pay for services, it impacts the quality of service rendered.
“EEDC has the capacity to deliver efficient services but can not achieve that without the support of its customers.”
On the issue of meter, he said metering all customers has not been feasible due to the paucity of funds, adding that this is not peculiar to EEDC but cuts across all the other DISCOs in the country.
”Unfortunately, no bank can extend the long-term loan facility to EEDC or any other DISCO in the country to execute the metering project.
“As a result of this development, NERC came up with some metering interventions to close the metering gap.
“One such intervention is the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) – an arrangement where meter suppliers/manufacturers would source for funds, import meters and meter customers.”
He said the program is still ongoing, and urged customers to take advantage.
State Government Measures
Efforts to speak with the state’s Commissioner of Power & Works, Julius Chukwuemeka, did not succeed as he ignored several text messages and calls to his phone since March 31 to date.
The Commissioner of Information, Dr Law Mefor , also did not reply his messages.
However, the state government last week Thursday announced the signing of six bills into law, among them was the Anambra State Electricity Law, 2025.
The state government revealed that the law is designed to establish a functional electricity market, ensuring a stable power supply and promoting economic growth.
“This law empowers Anambra to take ownership of its energy regulation framework, expand access to electricity, and support industries across the state.” a release by the government read.
The state said it has plans to extend 33kva lines to seven communities, and adopt cleaner energy through the establishment of 30,000 solar-powered street lights, 406 units of solar home systems (inverter system) ranging from 5kva to 400ka to be installed in public offices, courts and government hospitals.
Until the state government fulfills its promises on electricity delivery, and the EEDC becomes more accountable efficient, lack of power supply will continue to threaten lives and the survival of small businesses in Anambra State.
SMEs, Medical Facilities May Collapse In Anambra Due To Poor Electricity is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
