Abuja, Nigeria
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently launched a mobile application for electricity consumers to report power outage complaints and disruptions across the country.
Aisha Mahmud, NERC commissioner of consumer affairs who spoke on the app’s functionality during its launch, said the commission partnered with the DisCos on the app.
Mahmud said data on hours of supply to customers on each service band, in a bid to protect users, was obtained.
“It utilises a multi-channel approach. We liaised with the different distribution companies and obtained a lot of data on their customers,” she said.
“So if you’re a customer of a DisCo and you are being supplied by the DisCo, your information is already stored in that app.
“If you have a complaint on any outage, there are multiple channels. There is a web app and a mobile app, so you can download it on your phone through Apple or Google store. You just need your meter number.
“You download the app, you enter your meter number and then after that, you log in your complaint and the app will automatically send a confirmation to the customers on that particular feeder of yours to find out if there is really an outage.
“If there is, then we need about two to three customers to confirm that there is an outage on that feeder.
“As soon as they confirm that, the app will send that confirmation to the DisCo with a resolution timeline and as soon as the DisCo resolves this complaint, then the DisCo will update the app saying ‘we’ve resolved this complaint’ and the app will automatically send another confirmation request to those customers on that particular feeder.”
