- KEDCO lost about 6,000 transformers to vandals in Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina states during the four-day nationwide blackout.
- The biggest challenge is vandalism; KEDCO needs the support of all stakeholders to address this problem
The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) said it lost about 6,000 transformers to vandals in Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina states during the four-day nationwide blackout recently experienced in the four states.
“In some locations, entire transformers were stolen by criminals. Even here in Katsina, a transformer was taken,” Mr Auwal Yusha’u, Regional Manager of Katsina North, said at a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Katsina on February 26, 2025.
He added that, in some areas, cables and transformer oil were also stolen. “This situation is beyond KEDCO’s capacity to resolve alone,” he added.
The Regional Manager emphasised that KEDCO cannot provide electricity to customers without functional transformers. He urged residents to form committees to monitor any suspicious activity around transformers in their communities.
He also advised customers to report transformer or electricity supply issues to the nearest KEDCO office rather than relying on unqualified individuals.
“In Katsina North, we have 14 feeders supplying electricity and five substations, each with an assigned controller.
“We also have two substations without controllers. Our coverage area includes Katsina town, Jibia, Batsari, Batagarawa, Kaita, and Rimi, which are local government areas.
He noted that in these zones, KEDCO has 50,119 registered customers. KEDCO bills N425 million monthly but can collect only N152 million.
“Just imagine the gap between the amount billed and what we actually collect every month,” he said with concern.
He added that some customers consistently pay their bills, “As of last month, we had 32,591 willing payers. This means we collect only 35 per cent of what we bill. Our response efficiency stands at 69 per cent. Our biggest challenge is vandalism. We need the support of all stakeholders to address this problem.
“During the four-day blackout, KEDCO lost billions of naira, and our transformers were heavily vandalised,” he said.