Ibom Power owes N28 billion, struggles with gas supply, vandalism
Ibom Power Company faces a 28 billion naira debt burden that has severely disrupted electricity generation at its facility, Acting Managing Director Camillus Umoh disclosed. The company remains unable to produce power despite having three turbines with a combined 191 megawatt capacity because gas supplier Acugas Savannah has halted deliveries amid widespread liquidity problems affecting the entire Nigerian electricity sector.
Generation companies nationwide are collectively owed 6.3 trillion naira as of July 2025, up from 4 trillion naira in December 2024, according to discussions with the Presidential Power Sector Debt Recovery Committee led by the finance minister. Umoh attributed operational difficulties to multiple factors, including meter bypassing by consumers, infrastructure vandalism in communities across Ikot Abasi, Ikot Ekpene, and Obot Akara, and aging transmission lines like the 45-year-old Aba-Itu corridor.
The Akwa Ibom state government has established a regulatory electricity committee and developed implementation timelines during its first electricity summit to address power challenges, while new construction regulations now mandate meter installation before grid connection to ensure revenue collection.
