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Edo, BEDC Disagree Over Power Outage In 444 Communities
No fewer than 444 communities, spread across the 18 local government areas of Edo State are without electricity, the State Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources Mr Yekini Idaiye, says.
Idaye made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen ` in Benin last Saturday.
He said from the figure, 157 communities were yet to be connected to the national grid.
The commissioner explained that about 32 of the communities were disconnected by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), while 145 communities had faulty transformers.
Idaiye, in addition, said another 110 communities required network rehabilitation.
While expressing the government’s commitment to ensure every communities in the state is electrified, he stated that Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode and Ovia North East council areas, were the worst hit.
“Indeed, the government is very much worried with this development and has taken a position by setting up “Ward Development Committees” whose mandate is to identify the problem being faced by the communities.
“The committee which is made up of 10 persons per ward also has the mandate of identifying the priority needs of a particular community or ward.
Idaiye said members of the ward committees were drawn from the traditional and religious leaders as well as politicians.
“As you may have rightly guessed, electricity which happens to be one of the priority needs, is been accorded a priority by the state government,” he said.
Idaiye noted that the challenges are age-long and regretted that the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), have failed to be alive to its responsibility in ensuring an effective power supply.
According to him, the BEDC is not helping matter, it is their statutory responsibility to provide electricity and they are not meeting up with this responsibility.
“We have met severally on this issue, yet they are not forthcoming”, he said.
In a swift reaction, the BEDC denied ever disconnecting any community in the state and expressed doubt that over 440 communities were without electricity in Edo.
The Company’s Chief State Head, Mr Fidelis Obishai, said that issues of decaying infrastructure are age-long and was inherited by the utility company.
He stated that the BEDC which had since taken over the asset and liability of the defunct PHCN in November 2013, had carried out, and still carrying out, network rehabilitation as well as changed no fewer than 150 transformers in Edo alone.
“To start with, I do not quite agree with the number of communities, the question is, how many communities do you have in Edo that you will have such a figure without electricity?
“On this issue of disconnecting some communities and those with faulty transformers, we do not just go about disconnecting people or communities, rather, they naturally disconnect themselves.
Edun made the call while speaking at the 2025 Fellowship Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, where he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms and expanding access to finance as key drivers of economic growth beyond four per cent.
“We all know that monetary policy under Cardoso has stabilised the financial system in a most commendable way. Of course, it is a team effort, and those eye-watering interest rates have to be paid by the fiscal side. But the fight against inflation is one we all have to participate in,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for banks to broaden credit access and finance innovation-driven enterprises that can create jobs for young Nigerians.
“The finance and banking industry has more work to do because we must finance their ideas, deepen the capital and credit markets down to SMEs. They should not have to go to Silicon Valley,” he said.
The minister who described the private sector as the engine of growth, said the government’s reform agenda aims to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, access funding, and contribute meaningfully to job creation.
The facility, known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration (P512892), is a Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation scheduled for World Bank Board consideration on December 16, 2025.
According to the Bank’s concept note , the financing would comprise $500m in International Development Association (IDA) credit and $500m in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan.
If approved, it would be the second-largest single loan Nigeria has received from the World Bank under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the $1.5 billion facility granted in June 2024 under the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) initiative.
The World Bank said the new programme aims to support Nigeria’s shift from short-term macroeconomic stabilisation to sustainable, private sector–led growth.
“The proposed Development Policy Financing (DPF) supports Nigeria’s pivot from stabilization to inclusive growth and job creation. Structured as a two-tranche standalone operation of US$1.0 billion (US$500 million IDA credit and US$500 million IBRD loan), it seeks to catalyse private sector–led investment by expanding access to credit, deepening capital markets and digital services, easing inflationary pressures, and promoting export diversification,” the document read.
The document further stated that Nigeria’s private sector credit-to-GDP ratio stood at only 21.3 per cent in 2024, significantly below that of emerging-market peers, while capital markets remain shallow, with sovereign securities dominating the bond market.
To address these weaknesses, the DPF will support the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, operationalisation of credit-enhancement facilities, and introduction of a comprehensive Central Bank of Nigeria rulebook to strengthen risk-based regulation and consumer protection.
The operation also includes measures to deepen digital inclusion through the passage of the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, which will establish a legal framework for electronic transactions, authentication services, and digital records.
Beyond the financial and digital sectors, the programme targets reforms to lower production and living costs by tackling Nigeria’s restrictive trade regime. High tariffs and import bans have long driven up consumer prices and constrained competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers and farmers.
Under the proposed reforms, Nigeria would adopt AfCFTA tariff concessions, rationalise import restrictions, and simplify agricultural seed certification to increase the supply of high-quality varieties for maize, rice, and soybeans. The World Bank projects that these measures will help reduce food inflation, attract private investment, and enhance export potential.
The operation is part of a broader World Bank FY26 package that includes three complementary projects—Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FINCLUDE), Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), and Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW)—all focused on expanding access to finance, strengthening institutions, and mobilising private capital.