The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has introduced a new mobile app aimed at tracking power outages across the country. This development reaffirms a statement made by NERC’s Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, during the inauguration ceremony of the commission’s forum office in Abeokuta, Ogun State last year.
The official launch of the Power Outage Reporting App took place in Abuja, underlining its crucial role in enhancing power supply services and providing real-time monitoring of Distribution Companies (DisCos) performance.
During the launch event in Abuja on Monday, Engr. Sanusi Garba, Chairman of the Commission, emphasised the app’s purpose, stating, “The app we are unveiling today is designed to help the commission in ensuring that DisCos are adhering to the tariff regulations that have been established.”
NERC is currently in the pilot stage of testing an app, and they have chosen the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) as their partner for this phase. They are assuring that in the upcoming months, every electricity distribution company (DisCo) in Nigeria will have its own version of the app. This testing phase involves a collaborative effort with the AEDC.
Citizens are encouraged to use the app to report power outages and disruptions, with the assurance that NERC will respond promptly. The app is user-friendly, allows customers to report outages, and sends confirmation requests to other customers on the same feeder to verify the issue, ensuring transparency and accountability in the resolution process.
NERC is committed to safeguarding electricity consumers. Recently, it instructed DisCos to promptly replace faulty and outdated prepaid meters, emphasising the importance of reliable metering and consumer protection in the power sector. This directive was issued at a NERC Workshop in Kano state.
As reported by Legit.ng, NERC has instructed Distribution Companies (DisCos) to create customer engagement platforms within three months, starting from September 1, 2023. This directive is detailed in a document labeled NERC/2023/006, titled ‘Order on the deployment of customer engagement platforms.
