POWER SUPPLY CHALLENGES IN ANAMBRA AND THE PATH FORWARD: A WEEKEND ADVISORY FROM FIRSTPOWER
March 27, 2026
The Management of FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FirstPower) warmly greets our esteemed customers across Anambra State as we approach the weekend and the month-end, and sincerely appreciates your patience, resilience, and continued cooperation in the face of the current electricity supply challenges.
We are fully aware of the difficulties many households and businesses have experienced in recent weeks due to reduced power supply. As earlier communicated, this development is not peculiar to Anambra State, but a reflection of wider challenges within Nigeria’s electricity value chain, particularly the significant drop in power generation and supply to distribution companies nationwide. As a distribution company, FirstPower can only distribute the quantum of electricity allocated to it from the national grid.
In response to this constraint, the Company has continued to implement load management and equitable rationing across feeders to ensure that available supply is shared across different areas. While this may result in irregular supply patterns, it is a necessary measure to maintain system stability, protect infrastructure, and ensure that no part of the State is completely left out.
Notwithstanding these challenges, we wish to reassure Ndi Anambra that deliberate efforts are ongoing to improve the situation. As announced during our Stakeholders Engagement and interactive sessions with customers last week, we wish to reassure Ndi Anambra that concrete steps are already being taken, in collaboration with critical stakeholders, to improve electricity supply in the State.
Notably, FirstPower is actively advancing discussions and strategic plans towards starting embedded power generation in Anambra State. This initiative, which aligns with the vision of the Anambra State Government as a long-term solution, is aimed at complementing supply we get from the national grid, reducing our dependence on the national grid, and ultimately ensuring more stable and reliable electricity supply in the state. We sincerely appeal for your patience and continued understanding as we navigate this period.
In the same vein, FirstPower also recently (over the week) participated in a public consultation organized by the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ASERC), aimed at formulating and shaping policy framework that will strengthen the state’s electricity market and power sector, attract investments, and support improved service delivery across Anambra. We urge our customers to remain responsible partners in this journey.
We’ve also established a functional meter lab in Onitsha to enhance availability of meter for customers to ensure that customers pay for what they consume and consume what they pay for, in line with our commitment to fairness, transparency, and regulatory compliance. Customers without prepaid meters are encouraged to visit our office or website (www.firstpowerdisco.com), follow the process, and take advantage of available metering options to eliminate estimated billing and gain better control of their electricity consumption.
As responsible customers, responsible use and protection of electrical infrastructure remains critical, as incidents of vandalism, illegal connections, energy theft/meter bypassing, and other unauthorised interference have continued to undermine service delivery. Note also that tampering with electrical installations and facilities not only disrupts supply but also endangers lives and increases operational challenges for everyone.
We also encourage moderate and efficient energy usage, especially during periods of supply, to prevent overloading of transformers and feeders.
As we enter the weekend, we wish to advise our customers, especially offices, shops, and business owners closing for the week and even schools closing for the term, to ensure that their electrical appliances are properly switched off when not in use. This simple but important practice helps to prevent fire outbreaks and avoidable faults. It also reduces pressure on transformers when supply is restored, and protects your appliances from damage.
Given the current situation on ground and the various inciting videos circulating on social media, we strongly appeal to members of the public to desist from attacking or harassing electricity workers carrying out their lawful duties. Electricity workers are human beings like you, people’s children, brothers, husbands, and breadwinners, who, like other ordinary Nigerians, are also working under challenging conditions in the country to make ends meet and are also risking their lives to serve you. They are not responsible for the current power supply challenges and are only doing their jobs as people under authority. Therefore, transferring your aggression to them is humanly unjust, unkind, and highly discouraged. If you have any complaints regarding the conduct or service of any of our staff, kindly report through the appropriate channels for prompt investigation and action.
Customers are encouraged to visit our Headquarters at No. 123 Zik’s Avenue, Awka (near Eke Awka), or any of our District or nearest offices to lodge formal complaints. In addition, our whistleblowing line (08161652465) remains available 24/7 for reporting suspicious activities, misconduct, vandalism, or other such illegalities. And every such report received will be treated with utmost seriousness and followed up accordingly.
While the present situation may be challenging, we remain optimistic that ongoing reforms, strategic collaborations, and planned interventions, including embedded generation, will yield improvements over time. We therefore solicit your continued understanding, cooperation, and partnership.
Also follow our social media handles for regular updates and insights:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstpowerdisco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstpowerdisco
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/firstpowerdisco
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/firstpowerdisco
FirstPower remains committed to transparency, service, and continuous engagement with our customers. Together, we can build a more stable and reliable power sector for Anambra State.
Signed:
Izunna Okafor
Head, Communications
FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited.
