Politically speaking, the allegation that DISCOS engage in load rejection as a means of settling their accounts for energy consumed in a country with the size of Nigeria’s population and a very low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is ludicrous.

It is a fact that revenue collection for energy consumed in the power sector is inefficient because of several reasons that include the huge metering gap, inadequate manpower, technical and commercial losses. However, the solution should not be in the adoption of this lazy method of rejecting load but for the Discos to devise aggressive and effective revenue collection models and strategies.

What obtains presently in the Nigerian electricity grid is a big contradiction, especially in a country with a very low installed generation capacity and desirous of upping production within her economy. At this point of our development and due to our level of generation, the system ought to be battling with managing the demand side and not reducing the supply side that is grossly inadequate.

So, it is almost criminal for any Disco to be found culpable in the act of load rejection and the relevant authorities are expected to sanction such erring Discos in accordance with the extant ruling documents.

In order to be more effective in their revenue drive, Discos must fashion out effective revenue collection strategies starting from a deliberate measure to close the existing metering gap and deploy technology to curb energy theft. If the political will is there, this goal is achievable.

Also, Discos have to reduce their technical and commercial losses by investing in the improvement of their weak and old infrastructure, particularly their 11kv networks as well as upgrading their facilities and promptly attending to reported faults. With improvement in their services, they can then argue for a cost-reflective tariff to enable them recoup their investments. After all, they were expected to inject greater efficiency into the system!

Last but not the least, the Discos should review their manpower policy and recall some of the competent hands that were laid off at the start of the privatization journey. Such personnel understand these networks and can be of immense help in revenue collection efficiency.

While load rejection must not be condoned but seen and treated as inimical to the growth and development of the power sector in Nigeria, the Discos should be encouraged to devise better and effective revenue collection strategies in order to meet their financial obligations to the electricity industry.