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| Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye |
Nigeria’s electricity challenges are well known: frequent outages, load shedding, high losses, and frustrated consumers. In a recent interview with Punch, the Managing Director and CEO of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye, shared his views on whether 24-hour power is achievable and what stands in the way.
His answer was direct: yes, it is possible. But achieving it at scale requires more than new projects or policies. It requires accountability, commercial discipline, and practical improvements across the value chain.
The Core Bottleneck: Accountability and Governance
Okwuokenye pointed to years of wrong decisions, mismanagement, and lack of accountability as the deepest problems. He told the Minister of Power that no new law or project alone will fix the sector — people must simply be held accountable.
This aligns with what many independent observers have said for years. Without strong governance at generation, transmission, and distribution levels, investment struggles and performance remains weak. For distribution companies like AEDC, better internal governance is the foundation for any visible improvement in service.
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Understanding the Electricity Value Chain (What Many Consumers Miss)
A key point from the interview is that electricity is a commodity. Power flows one way; revenue must flow the other way in roughly equal measure. If tariffs are below cost or if large volumes of energy are lost to theft, technical issues, or poor collection, the system cannot sustain itself.
Simple analogy used in the discussion: a baker cannot buy bread at ₦100 and sell it at ₦50 forever, or lose half the stock and still restock fully. The same logic applies to power. Right pricing and near-100% accountability of energy are essential for reliable supply.
Consumers understandably care most about whether the lights stay on. Distributors, however, must also keep the commercial side healthy so they can invest in networks, meters, and better service.
Practical Steps Toward More Reliable Supply
Okwuokenye highlighted several areas AEDC and the wider sector are working on:
• Distributed generation and blending — Bringing generation closer to demand (mini-grids, embedded generation, solar + battery) to reduce reliance on a constrained national grid and improve reliability.
• Technology and smart networks — Piloting smart distribution systems, battery storage for industrial customers, drone monitoring, and better loss detection so efforts can focus on actual problem areas rather than punishing all customers.
• Tackling energy theft and losses — Treating theft as economic sabotage and using data to identify and address it more precisely.
• Demonstrating progress in stages — Reliable power will not appear everywhere at once. Showing consistent improvement in specific areas builds customer confidence and supports wider rollout.
He noted that uninterrupted supply already exists in some places through mini-grids. The challenge is scaling this success while fixing the main grid system.
What This Means for Customers and the Sector
For ordinary customers, the message is twofold:
1. Distributors must improve service quality and transparency.
2. Customers also play a role by paying bills, avoiding illegal connections, and protecting infrastructure.
For the broader economy, reliable power is essential for industrialisation and growth. Progress depends on coordinated action — better governance, realistic commercial frameworks, targeted investment, and technology deployment.
Looking Ahead
Okwuokenye’s outlook is optimistic but grounded: 24-hour supply is achievable if the sector focuses on accountability and execution. AEDC’s own plans around smart networks, battery solutions, and distributed generation offer concrete examples of the direction needed.
Sustainable improvement will take time and consistent effort across government, regulators, operators, and consumers. The good news is that the technical and commercial solutions exist. The harder part has always been implementing them with discipline.
Source note
Key statements by Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye are drawn from his interview published in Punch on 20 September 2026. Readers are encouraged to read the full original interview for the complete conversation: link to the Punch article
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