My State now free from incessant National Grid collapses — Governor boasts
My State now free from incessant National Grid collapses — Governor boasts
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says the state has successfully insulated itself from the frequent power outages caused by repeated collapses of the national electricity grid, following fresh investments in renewable energy.
The governor disclosed this on Thursday while addressing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia, explaining that his administration has adopted an alternative power model based on energy generated from organic waste.
According to Otti, waste materials are now being processed into biogas, which is used to generate electricity for residents across the state. He said the initiative has significantly reduced Abia’s dependence on the national grid and its associated disruptions.
The governor noted that the new electricity arrangement has placed the state outside the direct regulatory framework of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), as power is being generated independently.
He added that the arrangement has been formally discussed and agreed upon with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), the firm responsible for electricity distribution in Abia State.
Otti described the development as a major step toward ensuring stable power supply, environmental sustainability, and economic growth, stressing that his administration remains committed to innovative solutions that improve the quality of life for residents.
“This is a pilot programme. Instead of throwing away waste, we can turn it into clean energy, and we will be able to power a lot of places, particularly the Umuhaia in-farms.
“I had reported earlier that our offers to EEDC have been accepted, and we are in the process of raising the funds to pay off EEDC.
“On the 24th of December, the Abia state electricity regulation authority took over the regulation of power from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. So everything about distribution, generation, and transmission is going to be regulated within the state.
“The whole idea is to ensure regulation of efficiency and independence in the state, just like the Aba Power provides power for the Aba in-farms.
“I am sure you would have been aware that some of the disasters (national grid collapses) that happened recently, our state was not affected, because a whole part of our power assets is within our authority.
“That is the whole idea of acquiring the whole Umuahia in-farms.
“I am happy we are making a lot of progress in that regard,” he said.
Otti’s comments come after another failure of the national grid, which collapsed for the second time in 2026 on Tuesday.
