From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
On Monday, November 2, 2020, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), put smiles on the faces of lucky staff and customers who demonstrated extra-ordinary commitment to duty and loyalty for seven years the company has existed, enduring numerous challenges, though with uncommon achievements so far recorded.
No fewer than 110 KEDCO customers drawn from its franchise area of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, were hugely rewarded with a token, during the elaborate ceremony that was held at the Post Office Road corporate headquarters of KEDCO in Kano.
Speaking during the event, the Chief Executive Officer of KEDCO, Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna who was represented by the Company’s Chief Operation Officer (COO), Mr. Vijay Kumar Salawani described the occasion as historic and a great day of pleasure for KEDCO management, staff and customers. “It is a great pleasure to welcome everyone to the 7th anniversary of KEDCO. I wish a great success to KEDCO and KEDCO. I thank everyone that came here today to celebrate with us. Thank you very much,” he added.
The KEDCO management also used the occasion to organize teasers for staff, designed to specifically encourage them be on the know of what is happening in KEDCO, in terms of being conversant with the vision and mission of the company, as well as the names and positions of top management members of the company.
Turakin Kano, Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi Bayero who was the Royal Father of the day, and Dan Majen Kano, Alhaji Yahaya Inuwa Abbas, who doubles as KEDCO Ambassador, performed the presentation. of trophy and certificates to meritorious staff in dedication to duty, as well as winners and best players during a football completion to herald the company’s 7th anniversary. The two traditional title holders also prayed for the success of KEDCO. KEDCO management and staff also toasted for the success of KEDCO targeting N5 billion revenue collection before the end of 2020.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samuel Adeyemo thanked God for given KEDCO the grace to carry through the journey of seven years. He noted that, “KEDCO has been able to weather through the storm for seven years. Seven is a number of perfection. We thank God to have allowed KEDCO to perform for seven years. I appeal to customers to pay their bills promptly and help KEDCO to succeed. When customers pay their bills, KEDCO will ensure consistent and steady power supply.”
During a Media Dinner which later held at Tribes and Meena restaurant, KEDCO COO, Mr. Vijay, reeled out KEDCO’s achievements in seven years to include successfully adding new distribution capacity of 318,050 KVA and added 491.29 KM of distribution lines. This have expanded KEDCO’s distribution capacity and therefore increase our ability to deliver electricity efficiently and reliably to our esteem customers.
He said KEDCO also engaged in business model restructuring from business unit model to regional structure for enhanced coverage, energy accountability, reliability and customer intimacy with regional offices operating as profit centers. This single stride has entrenched the basis for performance management and reward system.
According to him, the company also ensured deployment of over 100, 000 Prepaid Meters to all classes of customers free of charge. This we did to keep up with our performance agreement with the BPE as well as provide fair basis of energy accountability and billing.
The COO further stated that KEDCO also succeeded in centralization of the Billing Database and Platform/ Infrastructure for data accuracy which has provided the basis for operational integration and performance management. The success of any electricity distribution company hinge on a robust customer/billing database. This KEDCO has taken serious by investing heavily in this direction.
He said the company ensured integration of Cash offices and Customer Service Points with the billing system there by integrating with all the payment channels. This initiative is to create more convenient payment channels for our customers, adding that the ICT Department have internally designed a software based on ONA platform and open street maps to enable Geo-Spatial customer enumeration. One of the key strategic objectives of KEDCO is customer intimacy thus customer enumeration is a sure way of getting closer to our customer and serving them better.
The Chief Operation Officer said KEDCO engaged in aggressive reduction ATC&C Losses from the base-line of 68% to a record low of 32% which has led to a significant improvement in collections/revenue. KEDCO’s aggressively invests in initiatives that will impact on the ATC&C loss trajectory, pointing out that the company sponsored leadership development training for over 200 staff at home and abroad to equip our sales work force with the capacity to lead change in a rapidly changing business environment.
According to him, KEDCO recorded zero staff fatality for year 2020 and have retained the 2nd position in the overall NEMSA HSE ranking for year 2020 with the aim of attaining the 1st position before the year ends, just as it ensured deployment of over a thousand Point of Sales Machine, which has added to the existing payment channels for the convenience of our customers.
Mr. Vijay, however, listed KEDCO’s challenges to include the issue of vandalizations of power distribution assets, energy theft (Meter bypass, Illegal connection and re-connection, double feeding), activities of unauthorized persons such as NEPA 2, meter theft and destruction, non-challant attitude of some customers of on settlement of electricity bills, as well as transmission interface challenges and grid instability.
He, also talked about KEDCO’s future plans to include integration of GIS-based customer enumeration data with ERP, which will form the basis for work allocation and performance management for the frontline staff, deployment of SCADA and Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) for real time network management, aggressively bridge the metering gap within our franchise area and ensuring that all our customers are metered before the end of 2022, human capital Development: Improve staff welfare, specialized training and working environment, including community relations, geared towards intensifying community engagement, community advocacy, mobilization, sensitization and awareness on KEDCO equipment, mode of operations, and other topical issues.
The AUTHORITY reports that among celebrities who graced the occasion include Kannywood actors: Ali Nuhu and Sani Musa Danja.
