MainPower has commenced a ₦3.5 billion DISREP power network rehabilitation and upgrade programme in Enugu, targeting the 9th Mile and industrial corridors to improve capacity, reliability and electricity supply.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited has commenced a ₦3.5 billion power network rehabilitation and upgrade programme designed to improve electricity supply, strengthen infrastructure and support industrial activity across parts of Enugu State.
The project is being implemented under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), a Federal Government power-sector initiative supported by the World Bank. DISREP is a $500 million programme aimed at improving electricity distribution infrastructure, including metering and network rehabilitation. As of August 2026, the Federal Government said 668,000 electricity meters had been installed from 1.033 million meters delivered under the programme.
Speaking with journalists in Enugu on Thursday, August 27, MainPower Managing Director, Dr Ernest Mapwaya, said the project would strengthen the distribution network through the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, reduction of technical and commercial losses and improved service delivery.
He said the first phase would cover the rehabilitation and upgrade of the 9th Mile Injection Substation, the 9th Mile Industrial Feeder and the Coca-Cola 33kV Feeder.
The programme will also provide seven new 500kVA, 11/0.415kV distribution transformers, rehabilitate 10 existing 500kVA transformers and install 11kV switchgear to improve system protection, control and operational flexibility.
Mapwaya said the works were expected to be completed within five weeks, with contractors scheduled to work daily, including weekends, to meet the project timeline.
A major component of the intervention is the upgrade of the approximately 28-kilometre Coca-Cola 33kV line linking the Oji River Transmission Station to the 9th Mile Injection Substation.
According to the MainPower managing director, the existing 50mm² aluminium single-circuit conductor will be replaced with a 150mm² Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) double-circuit line.
The upgraded infrastructure will have a combined design thermal transfer capability of up to 36MW, subject to prevailing system conditions, voltage regulation and other operational requirements.
Mapwaya said the additional capacity would strengthen electricity supply to the 9th Mile industrial axis and support existing and prospective industrial customers.
Among the expected beneficiaries are Sapphire, 7-Up, Honest Material, Coca-Cola, Wisdo, Enugu Water Works and other customers supplied through the 11kV industrial feeder.
He added that the intervention would also relieve pressure on the Kingsway 2 Line, which supplies Ogui and the Hilltop axis, thereby improving network flexibility and reliability in those areas.
The 9th Mile Industrial Feeder will equally receive a major upgrade, with the existing undersized 70mm² aluminium conductor to be replaced with a 150mm² aluminium conductor from the injection substation.
The upgrade is expected to address capacity constraints, reduce technical losses, improve voltage profiles and provide additional capacity for growing industrial and commercial demand.
Upon completion, MainPower expects the project to improve electricity supply to customers across Udi and Ezeagu Local Government Areas, including the 9th Mile industrial hub, Free Trade Zone, Ezeagu industrial cluster, Abor, Ajali and surrounding communities.
The investment comes as MainPower continues efforts to improve its performance in Enugu’s electricity market. The Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) granted MainPower a 20-year electricity distribution licence in March 2026, formally establishing the company as the licensed distributor in the state.
The development also follows regulatory pressure on MainPower to improve service delivery. In May, EERC directed the company to downgrade 59 affected feeders after technical and safety audits and monitoring showed that the feeders had failed to meet expected supply hours under the Service-Based Tariff framework.
In a subsequent July order, EERC revised its approach and approved a one-off compensation arrangement for customers on affected feeders, citing concerted efforts by MainPower to improve services in recent months. The Commission ordered compensation equivalent to 25 per cent of applicable estimated-billing caps for February, March and April 2026.
Mapwaya said the new rehabilitation programme forms part of MainPower’s broader strategy to provide the infrastructure required to support industrial growth, business expansion and socioeconomic development in Enugu State.
However, he disclosed that the construction work would require scheduled power outages in affected areas.
According to him, the outages would generally occur between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. during the five-week construction period, temporarily interrupting electricity supply to customers within the affected corridors.
He appealed to industrial, commercial and residential customers to be patient and cooperate with the contractors, explaining that the temporary disruptions were necessary to enable the work to be executed safely and within schedule.
Mapwaya also disclosed that the rehabilitation would require the removal or clearance of structures and commercial activities encroaching on statutory power-line rights-of-way.
He urged residents and businesses not to erect structures or conduct activities within power-line corridors, stressing that such spaces must remain clear to protect lives, facilitate maintenance and ensure the safe operation of electricity infrastructure.
The MainPower boss further appealed to communities within the project corridors to protect newly installed electrical infrastructure and give contractors the necessary cooperation to complete the ₦3.5 billion intervention as scheduled.
MainPower’s investment adds to ongoing efforts to modernise Enugu’s electricity market, with the state regulator also pursuing reforms aimed at building a more reliable, transparent and sustainable electricity system.
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