Metres: FG approves N39bn loan to DisCos

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babaraji Fashola, has said that the federal government has approved N39 billion loans to the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) for the supply of metres.

He disclosed this in Kano yesterday at the 18th Monthly Power Sector Stakeholders Meeting hosted by the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).

Fashola said the gesture was part of the federal government-initiated programme on Power Sector Recovery aimed at ensuring uninterrupted power generation and distribution.

According to him, the loan given to the electricity distributing companies is aimed at ensuring that every consumer of electricity is provided with the metre so as to have them in their database.

He explained that granting the loan was aimed to end the series of complaints by the consumers who applied for the metre but was not delivered at the appropriate time.

“Even though, some of the companies have also complaints that the consumers not cooperating with the companies towards providing them with the metres,” he said.

The minister added that the successful implementation of the power sector recovery programme would assist towards ending the conflict between the distributors and consumers and also improve terrific collection.

He said the power generation in the country had improved tremendously 2017 to 6863 megawatts compared to 2016 due to the government efforts to end the rampant vandalism of gas pipelines.

“With this development, we have also noticed increase in the distribution of the electricity to the consumers across the country, which we are hoping that it will also increase soon.”

In an interview with the newsmen, the KEDCO’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Raul Zing, said the company had spent over N200 million for the construction of a power sub-station at Dakata, in Nassarawa local government area.

According to him, the sub-station which was commissioned yesterday by the minister will provide 100 small-scale industries and over 10,000 houses with electricity.

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