Jimeta’s KEDCO forging efficiency in power distribution

History has shown that powerful leadership does not merely manage decline; it dismantles it. This is the story of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) under Dr. Abubakar Shuaibu Jimeta. Jimeta has decisively moved the company from chronic underperformance to measurable transformation, delivering not promises but tangible gains in responsiveness, reliability and service quality across its franchise. Today at KEDCO, technology-driven solutions have become the lived reality of its customers.

What is emerging is a steady transformation and recalibration of how an electricity distribution company should function in a difficult but modern environment. From infrastructure upgrades to digital tools, loss reduction and institutional partnerships, the period under Jimeta has taken the shape of measurable reform, and customers are better for it.

At the heart of this story is a leadership approach that prioritises results over rhetoric and practical interventions over grand declarations. Policies have remained dogged and proactive, always oriented toward meeting customer needs. Beginning with the commissioning of feeder stations, marked by the rollout of the 11kV Dundu Band A feeder at the Jogana Injection Substation, KEDCO has signposted its intent. The project is a key step toward improving power reliability and supporting economic growth.

Yet the Dundu project reflects a broader pattern that has increasingly defined Jimeta’s tenure: timely infrastructure upgrades aimed squarely at improving supply consistency. Across Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, the emphasis on strengthening network infrastructure has become one of the most defining features of the current management. In a sector long constrained by aging facilities and limited investments, this renewed focus confirms that when the right leader is at the helm, growth happens naturally.

A notable example is the expansion at the Dawanau International Grain Market in Kano. Valued at about ₦1.1 billion, the project involves the construction of a 33kV overhead line from the Bichi Transmission Station to the market, alongside substations, 500kVA transformers and low-tension distribution lines. By late June 2025, following successful testing and an inspection tour led by Jimeta, the infrastructure was set for commissioning. Widely regarded as the largest grain trading hub in sub-Saharan Africa, Dawanau hosts hundreds of agro-processing and trading businesses. Where power supply once hovered around four hours daily, the new infrastructure is delivering over 20 hours of electricity, with capacity expected to grow by about 10 megawatts. For traders, processors and logistics operators, this is enhanced productivity, stronger competitiveness and a boost to the broader agricultural value chain.

The Jogana Injection Substation project follows a similar philosophy. Strengthening feeder capacity and improving last-mile distribution reliability remains central to addressing one of Nigeria’s most persistent electricity challenges—the disconnect between generation and effective delivery. Closely tied to this is KEDCO’s deliberate focus on distribution hubs—areas where improved electricity supply can unlock significant economic activity. By concentrating resources in such nodes, KEDCO is using electricity distribution as a tool for economic stimulation. Reliable power in strategic locations triggers higher productivity, job creation and increased commercial activity. Distribution is no longer just about supply; it becomes a driver of regional development.

Verified operational gains reinforce the picture. Within months of Jimeta’s assumption of office, Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses dropped from around 62 percent to roughly 42 percent—a 20-point reduction. Billing efficiency rose from about 75 percent to over 80 percent by mid-2025. More than 50 feeders across the franchise are now delivering between 20 and 24 hours of daily supply, with 11 newly upgraded to meet service-level requirements. Industrial offtake has also strengthened, with a reported 50 percent increase in power consumption from Maximum Demand industrial customers. These metrics translate into greater reliability for businesses and households and stronger financial footing for the company, including progress toward full market remittance.

Another front of impact is the adoption of renewable energy. In August 2025, KEDCO commenced offtake of 10 megawatts of solar energy from the Haske Solar Plant in Kano’s Challawa industrial cluster, following the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement. The facility, developed with support from the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, stands as Nigeria’s largest grid-connected solar plant. Electricity is evacuated via the Abattoir Injection Substation and distributed to industrial customers through dedicated feeders. While the 10MW capacity may appear modest, its significance lies in what it represents: a practical step toward integrating renewable energy into Nigeria’s distribution network and positioning KEDCO within the country’s gradual transition toward a more sustainable energy future.

Another critical strand of reform lies in addressing Nigeria’s long-standing metering deficit. In late October 2025, under the World Bank-supported Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), KEDCO announced the launch of a mass metering initiative targeting over 128,000 prepaid meters across its franchise states at no cost to consumers. Complementary deployments have already seen tens of thousands of prepaid meters installed, alongside high-voltage maximum demand meters and check meters on commercial lines. By expanding prepaid metering, Jimeta’s KEDCO is improving transparency, strengthening accountability and rebuilding trust. For households and businesses, accurate metering translates directly to fairness.

If infrastructure forms one pillar of reform, digital innovation represents the other. Under Jimeta, KEDCO has modernised its operations through technology-driven solutions designed to simplify customer interaction. Among the most notable is the deployment of ATM-enabled self-service payment kiosks in partnership with FUCIL Datatech Limited, allowing customers to pay electricity bills quickly without relying solely on traditional service centres. This year the company also fortified its infrastructure by deploying high-tech grid hardware, including Auto-Reclosers, Fault Detection Indicators and Termination Kits, in strategic alliance with FIXONTIME and NOJA Power. These innovations signal a shift from legacy systems to a more agile, customer-focused operational model.

The transformation has also extended to institutional collaborations. Recognising the vulnerability of power infrastructure, the company has strengthened partnerships with security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, to safeguard critical assets. Beyond security, KEDCO has engaged academic institutions such as Bayero University Kano and industry stakeholders, including the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, to promote innovation and knowledge exchange. A landmark tri-state arrangement has also seen the governors of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa acquire equity stakes linked to the core investor, signalling deeper alignment between the utility and the states it serves.

The combination of infrastructure upgrades, digital innovation, loss reduction and customer-focused reforms has not gone unnoticed. In September 2025, KEDCO was named “Most Customer Driven Electricity Distribution Company of the Year” at the Africa Brand Awards, with consecutive recognition in subsequent cycles, alongside further honours for the company and for Jimeta’s leadership, including the Best CEO Leadership Award, the Role Model of the Year, and the global International Leadership Excellence Award at the Qatar Leadership Summit. Internally, steps such as the promotion of a significant share of staff and attention to legacy welfare issues have further stabilised the organisation.

Yet Jimeta himself has acknowledged that KEDCO remains a work in progress. The challenges confronting Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies—generation shortfalls, transmission constraints and energy theft—are still very much present. Leadership in such a sector is rarely about eliminating challenges; it is about defining direction and sustaining momentum. In this regard, the record under Jimeta stands out.

Through feeder expansion, targeted infrastructure investments, renewable integration, aggressive loss reduction, digital innovation and customer-centric reforms, KEDCO is gradually repositioning itself within a difficult operating environment. This is no longer a company content with managing the status quo. Jimeta has made it into a company attempting, step by step, to rewrite its narrative—from one feeder to numerous innovations, all geared toward improving the overall experience of customers while strengthening the revenue base, stimulating the economy, creating employment and improving livelihoods.

The journey toward reliable electricity in Nigeria remains long and complex. But within the distribution segment, incremental, consistent improvements are what ultimately bridge the gap between generation and consumption, and this is precisely what Jimeta has rolled up his sleeves to achieve.

Sunusi Garba,

Abuja