Here Nwamulu Namma in this piece writes that in the South-South, where crude oil and gas power the nation, homes and businesses sit in darkness. The problem is not generation. The problem is distribution, regulation, and a 65-year-old association still waiting for government recognition. Engineer Philip Ewesor of LECAN says the fix is simple: meters, transformers, and legal backing.
The story begins with meters. Or the lack of them. In communities across the South, two DISCOs service millions of customers. Yet prepaid meters remain scarce.
“Consumers suffer from non-availability of meters,” Ewesor said. “They are placed on estimated billing.”
Those bills, he said, are outrageous. “It is not what they consumed. After one month, they cannot pay.”
The frustration breeds crime. “That is what brings the mindset of stealing energy. You drive and see people hanging wires.”
The federal government has responded with free meters. Installations are ongoing. But Ewesor says the pace must increase.
The second problem is transformers. “They are very limited,” he said. “You have overload everywhere.”
An overloaded transformer trips, fails, and entire communities go dark for months.
Then there is the issue of standards. NESI rules are clear: Form 74 for every new connection, signed by a certified LECAN electrician.
“But DISCOs bypass it,” Ewesor alleged. “They just capture customers.”
Customer capturing means you are billed without consent. It is illegal, but it happens.
The root of LECAN’s weakness, he said, is non-gazetting. “NBA is gazetted. NMA is gazetted. LECAN is not.”
LECAN was formed in 1961. “We are almost as old as Nigeria. We need legal backing.”
Without it, the association cannot sanction quacks. “When you correct someone, they ask ‘by what authority?’”
LECAN has taken the fight to Abuja. The House of Reps Committee on Power has heard them. NEMSA has promised cooperation.
But DISCOs also have questions to answer. Ewesor accused them of prioritizing revenue over maintenance.
“Their substations are bushy. Vandals operate inside. If you clear the bush, you create visibility.”
He also spoke of communities willing to donate transformers. “The process is too rigorous. Clear all debts first. That kills goodwill.”
The solution, Ewesor insists, is three-fold: accelerate metering, gazette LECAN, and enforce NESI rules. Until then, he said, the South-South will remain in darkness despite being the hub of Nigeria’s power.