Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has announced the termination of the state government’s monthly ₦150 million support to the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), citing persistent poor service and lack of improvement in electricity supply.
The governor made the announcement on Wednesday night during a meeting with KEDCO management and electricity consumers in Birnin Kebbi.
Idris said the decision followed prolonged complaints from residents and businesses over inadequate and unreliable power supply across the state. He noted that despite sustained financial support, there had been no significant improvement in electricity distribution.
As part of measures to address the situation, the governor directed the immediate constitution of a committee to investigate the causes of the lingering epileptic power supply in Kebbi.
According to him, the committee will comprise representatives from the Kebbi Development Forum (KDF), state commissioners, local government chairmen, civil society organisations (CSOs), members of the State House of Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), traditional rulers, among others.
He added that the committee would engage with KEDCO to identify the root causes of the problem and recommend practical solutions.
“As a government, we are exploring alternative sources of power, and by God’s grace, we will achieve our goal,” the governor said.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Yakubu Bala-Tafida, explained that the meeting was convened to find lasting solutions to the persistent electricity challenges in the state.
In their remarks, the NLC Public Relations Officer in Kebbi, Usman Anache, and Chairman of the CSOs in the state, Ibrahim Ngaski, described the ongoing power shortage as a setback to development and alleged it amounted to sabotage against government efforts.
Responding, the Managing Director of KEDCO, Dr Umar Hashidu, maintained that the company supplies electricity to Kebbi under different service bands and claimed the state receives a fair share of power compared to others.
He assured stakeholders of improved supply but cited the vast landmass of Kebbi, which he said is comparable to the size of some countries, as a challenge to efficient distribution.
