AfrElec: Aba Power to deliver 20-MW power line to Nigeria's Owerrenta Industrial Zone in January 2025

Aba Power, a private electricity distribution company licensed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), will commission a new 20-MW power line to serve the Owerrenta Industrial Zone in Abia State. The project is set to begin in January 2025.

Cliff Eneh, an energy consultant and former senior manager with Texas Power and Light, announced the development in Lagos. According to local outlet BusinessDay, Eneh told journalists that the line is designed to provide consistent, high-quality electricity, revolutionising the region’s power supply for manufacturing.

“The connection to the line would have started this month but for the delay in the various commissioning tests before steady power supply to the line,” Eneh is quoted as saying. “Another compelling reason for not commissioning the new 20-MW line this month is the fact that factories will soon shut down for Christmas and New Year holidays.”

The project is expected to transform power availability in an area historically dependent on costly and environmentally harmful self-generation. The infrastructure will offer an uninterrupted power supply capable of handling the most energy-intensive industrial equipment—an upgrade from the unreliable systems in other parts of Nigeria.

Key beneficiaries include Tonimas Lubricant Plant, Planet Vegetable Oil Company, Clover Paints Industries and Valumbra Foods, all of which stand to boost production and cut operational costs.

Aba’s manufacturing sector is anticipated to benefit significantly, with analysts suggesting the initiative could enhance the region’s competitiveness and attract further investment. Reliable, affordable electricity is seen as critical to economic growth.

Eneh underscored the importance of continuous energy access for industrial productivity. 

“The electricity will be able to power the biggest industrial machines effortlessly, unlike the situation in some parts of the country where supplies can’t power smaller things like house air conditioning systems due to distribution transformer overload, poor feeder pillars, old and dilapidated wires and other poorly maintained power infrastructure,” he said.

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