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Manufacturers and business owners in Aba, Abia State, have reported increased production, reduced energy costs and extended operating hours following improvements in electricity supply by Aba Power Limited, a subsidiary of Geometric Power.
The development has boosted operations across manufacturing, retail and other sectors, although some businesses have raised concerns over high electricity tariffs and occasional power disruptions linked to gas shortages.
The Chairman of Damson Industries Limited, David Madueke, said improved electricity supply had enabled the shoe accessories manufacturer to increase production and introduce additional shifts to meet rising demand.
The company, which employs 35 workers and operates seven machines, now relies on Aba Power rather than diesel generators. However, Madueke said its monthly electricity bills sometimes reached between ₦5m and ₦6m.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Blueworld Pharmaceutical, Food and Cosmetics Limited, Ume-udeh Aghaegbunamu, disclosed that the company had reduced its energy costs by 80 per cent following improvements in power supply.
At Fine Potter Nigeria Limited, a manufacturer of Plaster of Paris products in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, Factory Manager Vivian Aneke said capacity utilisation had increased from 40 per cent to 75 per cent. She, however, noted that electricity costs remained a major operating expense, with monthly bills estimated at ₦29m.
The Chairman of Aba North Industrial Market Shoe Plaza, Obioma Onyebuchi, also acknowledged improvements in electricity supply but expressed concern over the financial burden on shoemakers, noting that the market’s monthly electricity expenditure could reach ₦18m.
Beyond manufacturing, the Owner of Enyimba City Plaza, Eke Janson, said improved electricity supply had enabled businesses within the commercial complex, which houses a supermarket, bakery, pharmacy, lounge and other outlets, to operate round the clock.
The President-General of the Abia State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, said small businesses had also benefited from improved electricity supply and prepaid metering, which had helped reduce complaints about estimated billing.He, however, called for a review of electricity tariffs for larger businesses.
Meanwhile, the Rector of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Dr Christopher Okoro, said connecting the institution to Aba Power had reduced its energy expenditure by more than 80 per cent, while improving working hours and supporting academic research.
The Administrator of Rhema University Teaching Hospital, Charles Mazi, also reported energy cost savings of at least 30 per cent and urged the Federal Government to support improvements in gas infrastructure to sustain reliable electricity generation.
Geometric Power Group, founded by former Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, operates an 188-megawatt power plant in Aba through its power generation and distribution subsidiaries, with financing support from the African Export-Import Bank.
Despite the reported gains, business operators stressed that addressing high tariffs and gas supply challenges would be critical to sustaining the improvements, lowering production costs and strengthening Aba’s manufacturing base.
