The South East Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA) has called on governors in the South East to prioritise electricity generation, describing it as the fastest pathway to achieving industrial revolution in the region.
The group disclosed that businesses across the zone have lost over N28 billion in the last three months due to persistent power shortages.
Coordinator of SEECA, Dr. Sebastine Okafor, made the disclosure in Enugu while addressing the incessant electricity outages that have affected the region in recent months.
He said the situation has caused severe hardship for electricity consumers and significantly disrupted commercial activities.
According to Okafor, the epileptic power supply has crippled many businesses, especially during the yuletide season when economic activities typically peak.
He, however, absolved electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in the zone of direct blame. Okafor argued that the electricity value chain is complex and that distribution firms cannot supply power they do not receive from the national grid.
The SEECA coordinator further noted that the South East is already disadvantaged in national power allocation, receiving only about seven per cent of the total electricity generated in the country.
“Electricity is the backbone of every modern economy. When power is unstable, industries suffer, jobs are lost, and people remain poor. In the South East today, small businesses are closing daily because they cannot afford generators and diesel. Our people are paying for darkness with their sweat and savings,” he said.
Okafor stressed that blaming DisCos alone would not solve the crisis, insisting that increased investment in power generation within the zone would deliver more sustainable results.
“If the government invests in power generation within the zone, factories will return, artisans will work better, and young people will find jobs. Stable electricity will reduce poverty faster than any policy statement,” he added.
He questioned why South East governors continue to focus more on electricity distribution rather than generation, describing the approach as anti-people and counterproductive.
According to him, concentrating on distribution without sufficient generation only spreads scarcity and deepens consumer frustration.
Okafor maintained that the region has the human capital, gas resources and private investors willing to partner in power generation projects, provided there is clear political commitment from state governments.
He urged governors to invest in independent power plants, saying such projects would reduce dependence on the national grid, stimulate industrial growth and place the South East on a sustainable path to economic self-reliance.
