The MD/CEO of Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), Engr. Abdulrahman Isa has revealed that the company’s major challenge is the increasing rate of vandalisation of its properties across its franchise areas.
Engr. Isa said within the last, the company recorded about 37 cases of vandalism across its franchise areas with Yobe region recording the highest cases of 20, adding that so far, it’s prosecuted 12 of these cases, with the culprits serving jail terms.”
The MD noted that such vandalisation greatly disrupted service delivery and caused significant financial losses and poor electricity distribution in the region.
Engr. Abdulrahman Isa, who led the management team, disclosed this during a sensitisation engagement with stakeholders at the Fombina Emirate Council in Adamawa State.
Addressing questions on the ongoing power supply challenges, Engr. Isa discussed the rising costs associated with generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity.
He stated, “For instance, delivering 1 kWh of power to Adamawa costs ₦214, but when the government was subsidising, the highest tariff we collected was only ₦50 to ₦56,” adding that, as of April, the government withdrew the electricity subsidy.
“Today in areas where we have good infrastructure and can provide a minimum of 20 hours of service per day—now classified as Band A feeders—tariffs have risen from 50-56 to over ₦214. Other bands, however, still enjoy subsidies.”
The YEDC boss also addressed the economic challenges impacting the power sector, noting that purchasing power has dropped by over 30%, leaving consumers heavily burdened.
“We are caught in the middle.” He mentioned. “We must meet our obligation to purchase and distribute energy while covering our operational costs, despite facing the same economic pressures as everyone else.”
Engr. Isa explained that the recent reduction in the power supply is due to YEDC’s inability to collect sufficient revenue from end users to pay the generating companies, which limits the supply available for distribution to customers.
Walin Adamawa, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir Mbamba, who represented the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, empathised with YEDC, acknowledging the challenging business environment the company operates in, remarking, “
I sympathise with you as investors; unfortunately, the government didn’t properly plan the transition from subsidies to non-subsidy.
Walin Adamawa, however, advised YEDC to invest in staff training, particularly for marketers who interact with customers, as many people in the region have had unfavourable experiences with the company’s personnel.
He emphasised the importance of diplomacy, dialogue, persuasion, and conflict management skills in enhancing customer relations and maximising business potential.
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