BEDC to sign MOU with USAID to boost improved customer service

Benin Electricity Distribution Plc. (BEDC) will on today take a bold step towards boosting access to electricity and improved services to customers in its franchise as it signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The event will enable USAID through the Power Africa Project to officially commence its support for the development of Nigeria’s power sector through credit enhancement, grants, technical assistance and investment promotion efforts.

President Barrack Obama of United States had launched the Power Africa Initiative to bring together technical and legal experts, the privates sector and governments from around the world to work in partnership to increase the number of people with access to power in Africa including Nigeria.

BEDC management is expected to sign the MOU with USAID agents, Tetratech Inc.  one of the contractual vehicles funded by the agency under the Power Africa Transactions and Reforms Program, (PATRP); a five year USAID technical assistance project implemented by Tetra Tech designed to bring more electricity to sub-Saharan Africa by utilizing a transaction-centered approach.

Tetra Tech, as directed by USAID is offering to provide commercialization assistance to BEDC for over a period of about two years focusing on management support to address losses, strengthen management controls and help with the required performance turnaround in its operations.

It has engaged a team of professionals already on ground to man some strategic business units in BEDC for the implementation of the technical assistance.

Tetra Tech’s assistance to BEDC will help demonstrate and implement loss reduction strategies, as well as other improvements to allow for improved ways of managing the business to be rolled out through BEDC network and to provide a demonstrative effect for other utilities in the country.