By Oscarline Onwuemenyi
World Bank, through the Commercial Re-Orientation of Electricity Sector Tool-Kits, CREST, project, has completed the conversion of low voltage distribution system, LVDS, to high voltage distribution system, HVDS, on the Karu Feeders 1 and 2 Clusters, and has handed them over to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

The project, which was awarded to ABB Powerlines Limited, is one of the numerous pilot projects undertaken by the bank across the country towards enhancing the quality of electricity for residents in outskirts of Abuja including Karu, Nyanya and Mararaba areas.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Monday, in Karu, the Senior Energy Specialist, Energy Unit, Africa Region of the World Bank, Mr. Erik Fernstrom, noted that the project would boost the quality of power supply to the communities, thereby addressing consumer dissatisfaction with electricity supply.

He said the Karu area displayed the same problems as many other Nigerian communities, including poor quality of power with frequent voltage drops, low revenues for the utility, and too many illegal and poorly planned connections.

He said: “In a negative spiral where quality of supply gets worse every year as fewer customers are willing to pay for a substandard service and the utility keeps losing money.”

This is why the HVDC project in Karu is more than new lines and transformers, it represents a break with the past, and an exit from this negative spiral,” he explained.

According to him, the system put in place in Karu will benefit the people that are the foundation of a working power sector, the loyal paying customer, by providing stable voltage and safe connections at an affordable price.

“In return we ask the citizens of Karu to care for this new infrastructure, pay their electricity bills so the Distribution Company can maintain these assets. We also ask you to hold the service provider PHCN/Abuja Disco accountable for keeping this neighborhood a beacon excellence in service and power delivery in Nigeria.”

Feinstromn noted that the success of the Road Map to power sector reform as launched by the Federal Government in August, 2010, and “all the efforts of government to improve the power sector can only be achieved when the customers feel they are getting the product they deserve, a product worth paying for.

“This is why, for me, the beginning to a reformed and improved power sector in Nigeria began here in Karu and the many similar communities across Nigeria where these investments are being put in place.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Power, Arc. Nuhu Somo Wya, said the benefits from the project could not be overemphasized as it is aimed at providing a more efficient distribution system.

He said, “The conversion of low voltage distribution system to high voltage system brings more capacity to the system thus allowing more people access to electric power.

The new system also helps in lowering power losses in the transmission system.”
The Minister, therefore, charged electricity consumers to settle their bills promptly to compliment government’s huge investments towards ensuring improved supply across the country.

“I also appeal to Nigerians to take every step necessary to ensure the safety of PHCN installations against vandalisation and overloading of the transformers through illegal connections. The responsibility for improved power supply in the country rests with all of us,” he added.

The General Manager, Project Management Unit (PMU) of the PHCN, Engr. Monsuru Ganiyu said the project would forestall issues of energy theft and technical and commercial losses on the part of the company as well enhance the quality of electricity for consumers.

“Completion of this project would comprehensively address distribution efficiency enhancement through reduction in technical and commercial losses, maintenance cost, and energy theft as well as improvement in voltage profile and the revenue base of the company,” he said.

He explained that the CREST project was designed to address some of the downstream problems in the sector including metering, billing, revenue collection and customer care and satisfaction.