Abia State Governor Alex Otti says the state is no longer affected by nationwide power outages caused by repeated collapses of Nigeria’s national grid.
He credited new investments in renewable energy generated from organic waste for the breakthrough.
Speaking Thursday at the Government House in Umuahia, Otti explained that his administration has begun converting waste materials into biogas, which is then used to generate electricity for residents.
He said the initiative has effectively removed Abia from the regulatory control of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
“This is a pilot programme. Instead of throwing away waste, we can turn it into clean energy, and we will be able to power a lot of places, particularly the Umuahia in-farms,” Otti stated.
New Regulatory Framework
The governor revealed that the new power arrangement was successfully negotiated with and accepted by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which oversees electricity distribution in the state.
“I had reported earlier that our offers to EEDC have been accepted, and we are in the process of raising the funds to pay off EEDC,” he said.
Otti added that on December 24, 2025, the Abia State Electricity Regulation Authority officially took over power regulation from NERC.
“So everything about distribution, generation, and transmission is going to be regulated within the state,” he explained.
He compared the new arrangement to Aba Power, which already provides independent electricity supply to parts of Aba.
Shielded From Grid Collapses
Governor Otti emphasized that Abia was unaffected by recent national grid failures, including the collapse that occurred on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, which plunged several parts of Nigeria into darkness.
“I am sure you would have been aware that some of the disasters (national grid collapses) that happened recently, our state was not affected, because a whole part of our power assets is within our authority,” he said.
He noted that acquiring the Umuahia in-farms was part of the broader plan to ensure energy independence. “I am happy we are making a lot of progress in that regard,” Otti added.
The governor’s remarks highlight Abia’s push toward renewable energy and state-level regulation, a move that could serve as a model for other states seeking to reduce reliance on Nigeria’s epileptic national transmission system.
Will Abia’s waste-to-energy project inspire similar initiatives across Nigeria? Share your views in the comments section.
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