Fatimah Otunsanya
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has taken a swipe at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, for distributing only 16,300 out of the 59,000 free prepaid meters supplied by the Federal Government, describing the development as unacceptable and detrimental to both consumers and the power sector.
The minister made his position known during a one-day working visit to IBEDC’s corporate headquarters in Ibadan at the weekend.
Adelabu warned that the failure to deploy the meters promptly not only undermined IBEDC’s revenue targets but also encouraged billing irregularities and sharp practices within its franchise area.
The Minister said: “These meters were not procured by the Federal Government to remain idle in warehouses. They were designed to help utilities enhance their financial viability, improve transparency in billing, and ensure that customers pay accurately for the electricity they consume.
“Going forward, I would like to encourage IBEDC to leverage every regulatory and operational opportunity available to it. One such opportunity is embedded generation.”
He insisted that the immediate deployment of the available meters must be treated as a priority intervention to rebuild customer confidence, reduce aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses, and safeguard the long-term sustainability of the power sector.
The minister disclosed that persistent complaints from electricity consumers within IBEDC’s franchise area compelled him to summon the company’s management for urgent discussions.
“I have been receiving complaints from the electricity consumers from the IBEDC franchise area on the kind of services being rendered.
“In 2025, I made a call to the Managing Director of the IBEDC to commend his activities on the improvement of electricity distribution in its franchise area.
“However, in 2026, the performance indices graph shows that the situation is not the same again. Our engagement on some of the issues affecting the distribution of energy to the catchment area reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining close, solution-oriented relationships with operators in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.
“Our objective is to hear directly from IBEDC, understand their operational realities, identify their pain points, and explore how the government can better support their ambition as a utility responsible for powering homes, businesses, and industries.”
Responding, IBEDC’s Managing Director, Mr Francis Agoha, acknowledged the Federal Government’s support while outlining the company’s operational constraints.
Agoha said: “We have also been working hand-in-hand with stakeholders, Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Rural Electrification Agency, and all the contractors handling various government power projects within our franchise area.”
