FENRAD Demands Urgent Restoration of Power in Aba, Seeks Review of Electricity Monopoly.

FENRAD Demands Urgent Restoration of Power in Aba, Seeks Review of Electricity Monopoly.

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has called for the immediate restoration of electricity to the Aba Ring-Fence Area following a prolonged blackout caused by the disruption of natural gas supply to the 188MW Geometric Power Plant in Osisioma Industrial Layout.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the civil society organisation expressed concern over the outage, which began at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 31, leaving the nine local government areas within the Aba Ring-Fence without electricity.

FENRAD said the blackout has severely disrupted commercial activities, manufacturing, healthcare services, educational institutions, and the livelihoods of thousands of residents and businesses that rely on stable electricity supply.

According to the organisation, Aba Power attributed the outage to a significant drop in gas pressure caused by technical challenges affecting its gas supplier.

While acknowledging the strategic role of the Geometric Power Project in improving electricity supply in Aba, FENRAD said the incident exposed the vulnerability of a power system dependent on a single generation source and distribution network.

The group noted that the outage has had serious economic consequences for Aba, a major commercial and manufacturing hub, where many small and medium-sized enterprises depend on uninterrupted electricity for production and service delivery.

FENRAD urged Heirs Energies, Aba Power, Geometric Power Limited, Nigerian Gas Marketing Limited (NGML), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency (ASERA), and other relevant stakeholders to work together to restore gas supply and electricity without further delay.

The organisation also called for transparent communication with the public on the cause of the disruption, ongoing remedial measures, and a realistic timeline for restoring power.

Beyond the immediate crisis, FENRAD advocated a comprehensive review of the Aba Ring-Fence electricity framework, arguing that the current monopolistic arrangement limits consumer choice and increases operational risks whenever the sole electricity provider experiences technical failures.

It urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), ASERA, the Federal Ministry of Power, and the Abia State Government to introduce reforms that would encourage greater competition, infrastructure redundancy, improved consumer protection, and increased private sector investment in the electricity sector.

The group further called for accelerated investment in gas infrastructure, diversified fuel supply arrangements, stronger transmission systems, and contingency measures to reduce the impact of future disruptions.

FENRAD maintained that reliable electricity is critical to economic growth, industrial development, public health, education, and overall social wellbeing, stressing that residents should not continue to suffer due to avoidable infrastructure and regulatory shortcomings.

The organisation expressed solidarity with the people and businesses of Aba and called on all responsible institutions to act with urgency, transparency, and accountability in restoring electricity while implementing long-term reforms aimed at building a resilient and consumer-focused power sector in Abia State.