Nigerian govt unveils app to report power outage

The Federal Government, on Monday, announced an application named the Power Outage Reporting System that allows customers to alert distribution firms under the watchful eye of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission about power outages.

The applications were introduced at the NERC office in Abuja, using the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company as a trial-run DisCo.

Sanusi Garba, the chairman of NERC, claimed that the application would give the organisation the ability to take action against power distributors who ignore consumer reports of electrical outages.

“We recently launched a new regulation that provides timelines within which public utilities, especially DisCos, are required to resolve complaints from customers. So this particular app being unveiled today is to assist the commission in monitoring whether DisCos are complying with the standard set out in that regulation.

Read Also: Single-phase now N81K as NERC approves price increase for prepaid meters

“Originally, the application was designed for crowd-sourcing data for the purpose of service-based tariffs. By crowd-sourcing, the application was to sample the quality of supply that customers are experiencing.

“But the commission decided that it is better to put smart meters on all feeders so that we have 100 per cent live data or near real-time data to ensure that the DisCos are actually complying with the service obligations that are prescribed in the tariff orders,” Garba stated.

The NERC executive explained that the application would allow power users who file complaints to track the resolution of their difficulties, and the commission would also be able to do so.

“We decided to start this launch in Abuja, and there will be a national roll-out for all distribution companies. But such a massive application would require test-running.

“So the AEDC today is like the guinea pig for the app, but we will quickly expedite the roll-out for other distribution companies,” he stated.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now