Monday November 24, 2025
www.thenewsdesk.ng
By Destiny YOUNG
The Managing Director of Ibom Power Company Limited, Engr Camillus Umoh, has restated the company’s commitment to ensuring reliable electricity supply across Akwa Ibom State. He gave the assurance on Monday, 24 November 2025, during a guided media tour of the company’s power generation facilities in Ikot Abasi. The visiting team comprised journalists from broadcast, print and digital platforms, including the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media and Digital Communications, Mr Destiny Young.
Before the tour began, the management held a short briefing where Engr Umoh outlined the technical and operational framework of the plant. He emphasised that the performance of the electricity value chain depends on the cooperation of all stakeholders. He recalled that the company recently activated Island Mode operations, which allow Ibom Power to deliver electricity directly to Akwa Ibom State without routing it through the Itu/Aba 132 kilovolt transmission line. The line has suffered recurring faults that have frequently disrupted supply.
One key issue that appears to hamper the company’s ability to deliver constant electricity is the availability of gas to its plant. The Managing Director explained that this constraint is beyond the company’s direct control because Ibom Power can only generate electricity when gas is supplied. He noted that the gas used by the company is provided by Accugas, a subsidiary of Savannah Energy, formerly known as Seven Energy. Ibom Power operates under a Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement with Accugas, through which natural gas from the Uquo Field is delivered to the plant via a dedicated pipeline.
During the facility inspection, the Managing Director and his technical team provided detailed explanations of the plant’s operational systems. Engr Umoh noted that the company’s Gas Turbine Generators have the capacity to produce up to 132 megawatts. Under the current Island Mode arrangement, about 84.4 megawatts are dedicated to Akwa Ibom State, while the remaining capacity is fed into the national grid.
Responding to questions on the prospects of uninterrupted electricity across the state, Engr Umoh stated that a stable supply of gas remains the most critical determinant. He explained that generation begins with gas delivered to the plant. The electricity produced is then handed to the Transmission Company of Nigeria, which moves it to the national grid, and the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company takes responsibility for distribution to households and businesses. He stressed that every stakeholder must perform effectively for the value chain to maintain stable output.
The governor’s aide sought clarification on why the Akwa Ibom State Government cannot generate and distribute electricity directly to all communities in the state. Engr Umoh explained that the existing distribution licence granted to the state covers only 266 communities that lacked electricity at the time the licence was issued. He added that the recent Akwa Ibom State Electricity Law was enacted to bridge this limitation and empower the Ibom Utility Company to distribute power generated by Ibom Power. However, he explained that this transition requires several processes, including a comprehensive inventory of electricity infrastructure. This is necessary because the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company owns part of the assets, although the state government has also made significant investments in key components of electricity distribution infrastructure within the state.