Residents of Abuja and surrounding areas have been warned to expect longer power outages following a sharp drop in electricity allocation to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
AEDC said its allocation from the national grid has fallen from about 641 megawatts (MW) to 314MW, representing a reduction of more than 50 per cent.
The company disclosed this in a statement issued by its management on Wednesday.
According to AEDC, the reduction was caused by transmission constraints affecting electricity supply to the Federal Capital Territory.
The company said the problem began on Tuesday, August 25, after transmission lines supplying Abuja from the Shiroro Transmission Station tripped.
AEDC said the development has significantly reduced the amount of electricity available for distribution to its customers.
“As a result, load shedding is currently being implemented across several feeders, including Band A feeders,” the company said.
AEDC also blamed low electricity generation for worsening the situation.
The National Control Centre reportedly informed the company that generation levels remain low, further limiting the power available to Abuja consumers.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has also been dealing with recent disturbances across the national grid.
System operators have linked some of the disruptions to the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines and the disconnection of some generating units.
AEDC said it was working with relevant stakeholders to address the situation and would continue to optimise the available power supply.
The company apologised to customers for the inconvenience and appealed for their patience and understanding while efforts continue to restore normal supply.
