FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited, in charge of electricity distribution in Anambra State, has decried high cases of electricity theft across the state, adding that the development is majorly contributing to poor power supply across the state.
The Managing Director, FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company, Okechukwu Okafor, disclosed this during a two-day interactive town hall engagement forum with electricity consumers in Onitsha, on Tuesday.
The event, themed ‘Public consultation on draft regulations’, was organised by the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The ASERC is an independent regulatory body established under the Anambra State Electricity Law, 2025, to oversee and develop the State’s electricity market.
Speaking during the event, Okafor said FirstPower has mapped out plans through community engagement to combat the menace of energy theft across its network with the aim of improving service delivery and operational integrity.
He emphasised the company’s zero-tolerance policy on energy theft, including meter bypassing/tampering, transformer and cable vandalism, warning of severe consequences for offenders.
According to him, the company has also mapped out plans to phase out estimated billings by closing the metering gap with the aim of distributing pre-paid metres to customers across the state.
He added that consumers’ failure to pay for the usage of electricity has resulted in financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
Okafor urged collaboration by electricity consumers in strengthening the capacity to detect and prosecute perpetrators of transformer vandalism and energy theft.
He said, “Electricity theft is one of the major challenges that has affected our ability to provide reliable service to our esteemed customers.
“We are intensifying our efforts through partnerships with critical bodies like electricity consumers to ensure that those who engage in such practices face the full wrath of the law.
“We can’t fight this challenge alone; we want all the concerned stakeholders/authorities to assist us to enable the company to operate better.
“Our partnership with the above-mentioned bodies is crucial. It will not only enhance our capacity to detect and prosecute offenders, but also send a strong message that electricity theft will not be tolerated.
“This singular act has undermined the integrity of our operations and deprived us of resources needed to improve service delivery to Anambra residents.”
He, however, urged customers to refrain from engaging in meter bypass, emphasising that the distribution company is determined to take strict action against defaulters, including imprisonment, as stipulated in the Electricity Act of Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASERC, Prof. Frank Okafor, called for a better working relationship between the electricity distribution companies and the consumers, adding that the vision of the commission under his leadership is to ensure that any electricity company operating in the state maintains the Anambra State Electricity Law, 2025 standard.
Okafor appealed to consumers to be patient over the current poor power supply, noting that the power currently being generated from the national grid is low to serve the state as a whole.
The ASERC Executive Director, Consumer’s Affairs, Nosike Emmanuel, stressed that ASERC regulates operators, protects consumers, and promotes investment and innovation in power generation, transmission, distribution, and supply and is guided by integrity, professionalism, and transparency.
