The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has declared that the state is no longer affected by power outages triggered by repeated collapses of Nigeria’s National Grid, following investments by his administration in converting organic waste into electricity.
He made this known on Thursday while speaking with journalists at the Government House, explaining that waste materials are now being processed into biogas and transformed into renewable energy for residents of the state.
According to the governor, Abia has effectively exited federal power regulation, noting that the state is no longer under the control of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). He added that the arrangement had been formally negotiated and accepted by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which currently manages electricity distribution in the state.
“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 Umuhaia in-farms.
“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.
“On the 24th of December, the Abia state electricity regulation authority took over the regulation of power from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. So everything about distribution, generation, and transmission is going to be regulated within the state.
“The whole idea is to ensure regulation of efficiency and independence in the state, just like the Aba Power provides power for the Aba in-farms.
“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.
“That is the whole idea of acquiring the whole Umuahia in-farms.
“I am happy we are making a lot of progress in that regard,” he said.
The governor’s comments come amid renewed concerns over the fragility of the National Grid, which recorded its second collapse in 2026 on Tuesday, plunging many parts of the country into darkness.
Electricity generation reportedly fell from more than 4,500 megawatts to as low as zero megawatts by 11:00 a.m., as all 23 power generation companies connected to the grid lost output, leaving the 11 electricity distribution companies without power allocation.
The recurring grid failures have been blamed on technical challenges, poor maintenance of transmission infrastructure and instability in generation capacity.
Reacting to the collapse, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, criticised Nigeria’s power situation, describing it as a worsening national emergency.
In a statement on X titled “2026: The Collapse Continues”, Obi said the January 2026 grid failure followed the same pattern as the previous year, when multiple collapses were recorded after the first incident in January 2025.
“In January 2025, we witnessed the first grid collapse of that year, which was followed by several other collapses. Now in January 2026, the national shame has commenced with Saturday’s collapse,” he said.
Obi lamented the country’s persistent electricity deficit, noting that Nigeria had ranked lowest globally in access to electricity for three consecutive years.
“It is utterly disappointing that for three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025, our nation has been ranked as having the least access to electricity globally, with nearly 100 million citizens left without power,” he said.
He further compared Nigeria’s power generation with that of other African nations, describing the disparity as disturbing.
“When we compare our situation to other African nations, the disparity is stark. When we compare our situation with that of other African nations, the disparity is stark. South Africa, with its population of about 64 million, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Egypt, with a population of about 115 million, also generates over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, with a population of around 48 million, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.
“Meanwhile, Nigeria, the giant of Africa and its most populous nation with over 240 million people, produces a mere 5,000 megawatts, an absurdly low figure that severely hampers our productivity,” Obi said.
According to him, the crisis in the power sector is fundamentally tied to governance shortcomings.
“This power crisis is a direct result of continuous leadership failures. The power sector is critical and requires competent and committed leadership to thrive,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria National Grid (NNG) has identified metering and grid expansion as long-term solutions to the recurring system failures.
“Metering is a huge part of the long-term solution.
“Nigeria’s supply still depends on how much power is generated, transmitted, and how stable the grid is.
“So even with a meter, outages can still happen if there’s not enough electricity on the grid or if there are infrastructure failures.
“However, metering is a critical foundation for improved supply. When DisCos are properly paid for the electricity actually consumed, their revenues improve,” the agency said.
It added that metering would reduce debt across the electricity value chain and restore confidence needed for investment in infrastructure and maintenance.
Although the grid currently generates about 5,000 megawatts, former power minister Babatunde Fashola previously said it has the capacity to handle up to 12,000 megawatts, while experts estimate that Nigeria needs more than 30,000 megawatts to meet the demands of its population.
What you should know
Abia State’s decision to pursue waste-to-energy solutions reflects a growing push by sub-national governments to reduce dependence on Nigeria’s unstable National Grid.
By taking control of power regulation and investing in renewable energy, the state aims to achieve energy security, improve industrial productivity and shield residents from nationwide outages.
The move also highlights the wider debate around decentralised electricity generation in Nigeria, as repeated grid collapses continue to expose systemic weaknesses in the national power infrastructure and fuel calls for reforms across the sector.
