Yola Electricity Distribution Company loses about 9 billion naira annually in energy and revenue losses on its Jimeta network, the company's board chairman said on Friday. Omatseyin Ayida disclosed the figure during the inauguration of a concrete pole manufacturing plant along the Yola-Numan Road. He said the Jimeta network accounts for nine megawatts of the distributor's total power allocation but loses 62 per cent of energy and revenue on this feeder, equivalent to 740 million naira monthly. The chairman described these losses as funds that should have been used for equipment procurement, infrastructure rehabilitation and staff salary payments.
Ayida lamented the overall state of electricity supply in the country, stating that no nation could power its future under such conditions. He attributed the current problems to infrastructure that had deteriorated consistently over four decades under previous management. The chairman said YEDC decided to establish the pole factory locally rather than import solutions to address the infrastructure deficit. The facility will produce over 10,000 concrete poles needed for the Jimeta Network Rehabilitation Project alone, comprising 397 high-tension poles and 9,939 low-tension poles.
The Jimeta feeder rehabilitation will require 51 distribution transformers and more than 480 kilometres of cables to serve 3,716 customers, according to Ayida. He said the investment aims to improve electricity supply, create jobs for residents of Adamawa State and boost revenue to enable the company to reinvest in its operations. Adamawa State Deputy Governor Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta commended YEDC for establishing the factory in the state and assured the company that the state government would provide a conducive business environment for investors.
The announcement reflects the broader challenges facing Nigeria's electricity distribution sector, where technical and commercial losses have constrained the ability of distributors to invest in network maintenance and expansion.