Electricity supply has been restored in parts of Abia State after more than a week of outage, Aba Power Limited announced in a notice posted on X on Saturday. The disruption, which began on July 29, affected the Aba Ring Fence Area and was caused by a gas supply shortage to Geometric Aba Power Limited, the primary generation source for the distribution company.
In its Saturday update, Aba Power said gas supply to the turbines had resumed following the repair of damaged components at the facilities of its gas supplier, Heirs Energies. “We are pleased to inform you that our primary power provider, Geometric Power Aba Limited, GPAL, has resumed turbine operations following the successful repair of the damaged components at the facilities of its gas supplier, Heirs Energies,” the notice stated. “Consequently, we have commenced the systematic restoration of power supply to our customers through our feeders, based on the available generation capacity.”
Aba Power currently provides electricity to nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State. The restoration brings relief to residents and businesses that have endured extended blackouts, disrupting daily activities and commercial operations.
The outage prompted a response from the state government. On Thursday, Governor Alex Otti vowed to commence the deployment of solar energy across the state to mitigate recurring power supply challenges. The pledge underscores a broader strategy to diversify the energy mix and reduce reliance on a single gas-fired generation source.
The successful repair at Heirs Energies marks a critical step in stabilizing the immediate supply chain. However, the systematic nature of the restoration means full coverage across all feeders will depend on available generation capacity at any given time. Customers are advised to expect gradual improvements as the utility balances load distribution.
The episode highlights the vulnerability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure to gas supply disruptions, a recurring issue that has plagued the sector for years. While the short-term fix restores confidence, the governor’s push for solar integration signals a recognition that long-term resilience requires structural investment in alternative energy sources.
Stakeholders will be monitoring the consistency of gas supply to Geometric Aba Power Limited and the pace of the state’s renewable energy rollout. For now, the return of power to parts of Abia offers a measurable, if partial, return to normalcy.
