The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has handed the new interim board of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company a 12-month deadline to put the utility back on a sustainable path.
NERC Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, gave the directive on Monday during a meeting with the special directors and the interim administrator of KAEDC.
The commission dissolved the previous KAEDC board on August 10 over what it described as years of financial and operational failure. The company is currently carrying cumulative market obligations of N456.5 billion.
Oseni said the board must roll out immediate reforms. He pointed to two major problem areas: high aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses, and a wide metering gap across KAEDC’s franchise area.
“We expect a lot from you, and the Administrator will bring you up to speed to ensure that you meet the target within one year. Most importantly, we want to begin to see progress immediately,” Oseni told the directors.
He noted that NERC made a similar intervention in 2024, which produced noticeable improvements before control returned to the former investors.
Ayo Gbeleyi, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, urged the new management to tap into existing federal metering programmes to close the gap faster.
Dafe Akpeneye, NERC’s Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance, said the special board was picked specifically for its mix of professional skills and experience.
Responding, Board Chairman Abdullahi Garba pledged to work closely with both NERC and BPE. He said the board’s goal is to make KAEDC financially stable, attractive for sale, and a benchmark for better performance in Nigeria’s power sector.
The intervention comes as regulators continue to push DisCos to reduce losses and improve service delivery nationwide.
