MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has announced plans to invest about ₦1.2 billion in Ugwuaji, Enugu State. The investment will cover customer metering, network rehabilitation and infrastructure upgrades.
The company also plans to enumerate and meter approximately 7,500 customers in the community. It said the initiative would improve service delivery and strengthen its relationship with residents.
MainPower Managing Director, Dr Ernest Mupwaya, disclosed the plans on Friday during a stakeholder engagement organised by the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC).
The meeting provided a platform for residents to raise concerns about electricity supply and discuss ways to resolve longstanding disputes. Similar community engagements feature in Enugu Government’s Efforts to Sustain Development Gains.
MainPower Moves to Resolve Ugwuaji Electricity Disputes
Mupwaya said MainPower remained committed to resolving historical issues affecting its relationship with Ugwuaji residents.
He disclosed that the company and the community had established a joint committee to address the outstanding concerns. The committee comprises five representatives from Ugwuaji and five from MainPower.
Describing the relationship as permanent, Mupwaya said it was “a marriage which can never be dissolved.”
He identified metering as the main concern raised during the engagement. According to him, about 90 per cent of the issues customers presented at the meeting related to meters.
The managing director assured residents that MainPower intended to meter all its customers by the end of 2027. He said the programme would promote fairer and more transparent transactions between the company and electricity consumers.
The initiative also aligns with broader infrastructure development efforts across the state. Readers can explore Peter Mbah’s Reported 10,000 Achievements for related developments.
Company Prepares to Enumerate 7,500 Customers
MainPower plans to begin a comprehensive enumeration exercise covering approximately 7,500 customers in Ugwuaji.
Mupwaya said the meters required for the exercise were already available. He added that the enumeration would help the company build an accurate customer database and improve communication.
“The customer enumeration would enable us to maintain an accurate database, improve service delivery, and keep our customers informed of major developments through electronic communication channels,” he said.
The exercise forms part of the company’s wider investment plan for the community. The plan includes customer enumeration, metering, infrastructure improvements and protection of electricity assets.
MainPower also urged residents to cooperate with its teams during the process. The company said better customer records would support improved service delivery and more effective communication.
For related reporting on community development, see CSDA’s Sensitisation Exercise Across Six Enugu Communities.
MainPower Targets Improved Electricity Supply
Mupwaya explained that the metering programme would prepare the network for increased electricity generation.
He specifically referenced the Enugu State Government’s planned 660MW power generation project. However, he did not provide a timeline for when the additional generation would become available.
The managing director said MainPower’s long-term objective was to move towards round-the-clock electricity supply. He added that comprehensive metering would help customers monitor and manage their consumption.
Mupwaya also appealed to residents to protect electricity infrastructure and work with the company to improve service delivery.
He identified infrastructure protection, bill payments, metering and effective communication as areas requiring cooperation. According to him, the company and its customers must share responsibility for improving electricity services.
Enugu’s electricity ambitions have also attracted attention from business stakeholders. In related coverage, NACCIMA Hails Mbah on Security and Backs Enugu’s ₦30bn Economic Ambition.
EERC Highlights Electricity Sector Reforms
In his welcome address, EERC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chijioke Okonkwo, discussed changes in the electricity sector following the Electricity Act 2023.
Okonkwo said Enugu was the first state to use the Act’s provisions to enact its own electricity law and establish a state electricity regulatory commission.
He explained that the reforms had opened the state’s electricity market to investment and created opportunities to expand access.
The EERC chairman urged customers to support the ongoing transformation. He said Ugwuaji’s electricity infrastructure could help drive economic growth and attract investment to the community.
Okonkwo also urged residents to protect electricity infrastructure, avoid energy theft and other illegal activities, and pay their electricity bills.
His comments highlighted the role of customers in sustaining improvements to the electricity network. Readers can also see RMAFC’s Search for Chinese Investment for another report on investment-related developments.
Ugwuaji Traditional Ruler Urges Better Service
The traditional ruler of Ugwuaji, Igwe Chinedu Nwobodo, welcomed the officials and other stakeholders to the community.
He recalled the electricity supply challenges residents had experienced over the years. He also urged MainPower to intensify efforts to improve service quality.
Nwobodo commended the company’s management for taking steps to rebuild its relationship with the community.
“MainPower has started well and I urge you not to relent,” he said.
The traditional ruler’s remarks reflected residents’ expectations that the planned investment would lead to tangible improvements in electricity supply.
The engagement also gave customers an opportunity to present complaints directly to MainPower and EERC officials. Both organisations addressed concerns raised during the meeting.
For another report on grassroots development in Enugu, read Igbo-Eze South Chairman Praises Mbah’s Grassroots Development.
EERC Explains Metering and Consumer Rights
The stakeholder engagement featured presentations by EERC officials on metering and consumer responsibilities.
Commissioner for Engineering, Health and Safety, Engr. Chinedum Ukabiala, delivered a presentation titled “Understanding the Importance of Metering.”
Nennaya Ugwu, head of the Consumer Complaints Resolution Desk, spoke on “Consumer Rights and Responsibilities under the Electricity Regulatory Framework.”
The presentations addressed issues affecting customers’ understanding of electricity metering and their responsibilities under the regulatory framework.
They also formed part of the wider engagement between regulators, MainPower and Ugwuaji residents.
The discussions reinforced the need for customers to understand their rights while complying with applicable electricity regulations. For another report on public safety and official enforcement, see ENSSAA’s Warning Over the Poster Ban in Enugu.
MainPower Management Team Attends Engagement
Several members of MainPower’s management team attended the meeting.
They included Chief Commercial Officer Ikenna Akabogu, Chief Technical Officer Engr. Chimezie Chukwu and Head of Customer Service Ijeoma Ogudebe.
Others were Head of Communications Emeka Ezeh, Head of Health, Safety and Environment Dr Francis Iwu, and Head of Operations Engr. Ikenna Mbamalu.
Awkunanaw District Business Manager Nelson Iwuagwu also attended the engagement.
Their participation provided customers with direct access to officials responsible for commercial operations, technical services, customer relations and communications.
The company said cooperation with residents would remain important as it works towards its planned investment and metering targets.
Related developments across Enugu include the Launch of a South-East Agro-Development Programme in Enugu and SEDC’s Planned 50,000-Hectare Agro-Mechanisation Project.
Ugwuaji Awaits ₦1.2bn Network Investment
MainPower’s proposed ₦1.2 billion investment is expected to focus on metering, customer enumeration and improvements to the electricity network in Ugwuaji.
The planned exercise will cover about 7,500 customers, while the company has set an end-of-2027 target for metering all its customers.
Mupwaya said the company wanted to resolve longstanding disputes and build a more productive relationship with residents. EERC also urged customers to protect infrastructure, avoid energy theft and meet their billing obligations.
The success of the plan will depend on cooperation between MainPower, the regulator and the community. Residents will now look to the company to translate its commitments into better electricity service.
