Manufacturers and business owners in Aba, Abia State, have reported increased production, reduced energy expenditure and extended operating hours following improvements in electricity supply by Aba Power Limited, a subsidiary of Geometric Power.
However, some businesses have raised concerns over high electricity tariffs and occasional disruptions attributed to gas shortages, warning that the challenges could undermine the benefits of improved power supply.
Geometric Power Group, founded by a former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, operates a 188-megawatt power plant in Aba through Geometric Power Aba Limited, alongside its electricity distribution subsidiary, Aba Power Limited.
Business operators said improved electricity supply has reduced their dependence on diesel-powered generators, lowered production costs and created opportunities to increase output.
The Chairman of Damson Industries Limited, David Madueke, said his company, which manufactures shoe accessories and employs 35 workers, has increased production because of the relatively steady power supply.
“Because of the steady supply, we are producing more goods than before,” Madueke said, adding that the company operated seven machines and relied on electricity from Aba Power rather than diesel generators.
He said increased demand could also require additional workers but lamented that the company’s monthly electricity bills sometimes hits between N5million and N6million.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Blueworld Pharmaceutical, Food and Cosmetics Limited, Ume-udeh Aghaegbunamu, said improved electricity supply has reduced his company’s energy costs by 80 per cent.
“Before the arrival of Geometric Power and its subsidiary, Aba Power, those of us in manufacturing used to run our diesel-fuelled generators for months without public power supply,” he said.
“But now we have constant power for months. As a result, we have cut energy costs by 80 per cent. The experience has been revolutionary.”
Aghaegbunamu, however, identified intermittent gas shortages as a major threat to sustained electricity supply and called for government intervention.
At Fine Potter Nigeria Limited, a manufacturer of Plaster of Paris (PoP) products in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, the factory manager, Vivian Aneke, said improved electricity availability has helped to increase production capacity utilisation from 40 per cent to 75 per cent.
She, however, said electricity remains a major operating expense, with the factory’s monthly bill estimated at N29million.
The Chairman of Aba North Industrial Market Shoe Plaza, Obioma Onyebuchi, also acknowledged improvements in power supply but said electricity costs remain a burden for shoemakers.
He said the market’s electricity consumption could cost as much as N18million monthly without measures to restrict usage. Onyebuchi recalled disruptions in July and August linked to reported gas shortages but said supply has improved since September.
Beyond manufacturing, the owner of Enyimba City Plaza, Eke Janson, said improved electricity supply has enabled businesses within the complex to operate round the clock.
The plaza accommodates more than eight businesses, including a supermarket, bakery, pharmacy, lounge and other retail outlets. Janson said generators are available only for emergencies despite the improved supply.
The President-General of the Abia State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, said small businesses have also benefited from improved electricity supply and prepaid metering, which he said reduced complaints about estimated billing.
He, however, urged Aba Power to review tariffs charged larger businesses.
Similarly, the Rector of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Dr. Christopher Okoro, said connecting the institution to Aba Power has reduced its energy expenditure by more than 80 per cent.
Okoro said the improved electricity supply also extends working hours and support academic research.
The Administrator of Rhema University Teaching Hospital, Charles Mazi, reported energy cost savings of at least 30 per cent and urged the Federal government to support improvements in gas infrastructure to sustain reliable electricity generation.
The business operators said sustained improvements in electricity supply, alongside measures to address tariffs and gas shortages, would help manufacturers and other enterprises consolidate the gains in productivity and operating efficiency.
- Media Report