The Abia State Government has intensified reforms in the power sector to improve electricity supply and regulate the emerging state market. Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, disclosed this in Umuahia on Monday after a State Executive Council meeting. Interim licences have been issued to three companies: Aba Power Limited and New Era Limited for distribution, and Geometric Power for generation. Aba Power serves the Aba Ring-Fenced area, while New Era covers Umuahia and parts of Abia North. These licences mark a shift from permits issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to state-level regulation.
Monday stated the transition allows for technical and commercial reviews before full licensing across designated clusters. Over 100,000 meters have been deployed in Aba to end estimated billing, with plans to expand metering to Umuahia. The Abam transmission line project is at an advanced stage, and community engagements are addressing infrastructure disruptions. On water, rehabilitation projects are underway under the USAID STWASH and World Bank SURWASH programmes. The USAID project, now financed by a grant, targets water scheme upgrades in Ubakala and Ariaria, linked to storage on Okigwe Road.
Work continues on the CKC Water Scheme and Ubakala Water Scheme in Aba, with expansion plans for more households. Other projects include Abangwu in Arochukwu, Amiyi in Isiala Ngwa South, and Umuahia Urban Water Scheme. These are being implemented in phases to support population growth and sustain systems built in the 1980s. The government is also planning reticulation improvements.
The same government that only recently secured financing for a delayed USAID water project is now issuing power licences as if institutional capacity is already proven. If the rollout of basic water repairs needed a last-minute financier, residents in Ubakala and Aba have reason to doubt the timeline for power promises. Metering 100,000 homes in Aba means little if the supply feeding those meters remains unstable. The state's ambition outpaces its track record of delivery.
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