Electricity theft, infrastructure vandalism threaten Nigeria’s power sector

The Nigerian energy sector is grappling with a crippling disaster as rampant electrical energy theft and infrastructure vandalism proceed to threaten energy provide.

Though Nigeria shouldn’t be in a position to generate sufficient electrical energy to energy the nation, the thefts and vandalism worsen the scenario.

Attributable to these issues, hundreds of thousands of properties and companies have struggled with out dependable entry to electrical energy for many years.

Lately, the Transmission Firm of Nigeria (TCN) reported a number of incidents of vandalism, leading to vital disruptions to energy provide.

In June 2020, Electrical energy Distribution Firms (DisCos) stated they misplaced over N30 billion of their month-to-month revenues to power theft, meter bypass, vandalism and unpaid electrical energy payments by customers.

In September 2021, the TCN stated it misplaced N1.7 billion in 9 months to vandalism of electrical energy infrastructure in Maiduguri and its environs.

In January 2025, the minister of energy stated over N9 billion was spent to revive vandalised energy infrastructure within the northern a part of Nigeria in 2024.

Vandalism

Earlier in February 2024, the TCN stated its tower quantity 388 alongside the Jos-Bauchi 132kV single circuit transmission line was vandalised. The corporate stated the incident suspected to have occurred on the first of February, at about 10 p.m., led to an influence outage in Yobe and Borno states.

Once more in February 2024, the TCN stated tower 70 alongside its 330kV Gwagwalada-Katampe transmission line was vandalised on 26 February, at about 11.32 p.m., decreasing bulk energy provide flexibility and the quantity of energy into Abuja by 250MW.

In March 2024, the TCN stated considered one of its important infrastructures, the Shiroro-Katampe 330 Kilo Volt (kV) transmission line, was vandalised, the fifth such incident between February and March.

Reacting to the frequent vandalism of energy infrastructure throughout Nigeria on the time, the Minister of Energy, Adebayo Adelabu, beneficial the dying penalty for individuals who steal energy infrastructure.

The actions of vandals in 2024 threw the whole Bayelsa State into darkness for months. On the time, the Bayelsa State Authorities described the vandalisation of the electrical energy energy towers, as a sabotage of the state’s economic system.

In June 2024, the TCN stated two of its towers, T193 and T194, alongside the Damaturu–Maiduguri 330 Kilo Volt (KV Single Circuit) transmission line that was vandalised on 28 December 2023 have been once more destroyed by vandals.

In August 2024, the TCN stated two transmission towers, T98 and T99, alongside the Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kV line within the Igbooghene group of Bayelsa, have been destroyed by vandals.

On the time, the TCN stated the incident induced the collapse of each towers, reducing off energy provide to Bayelsa, together with its Yenagoa Substation and the Gbarain Energy Station.

In September 2024, TCN stated its tower T372, alongside the Gombe -Damaturu-Maiduguri 330 Kilovolt (kV) transmission line, was introduced down by vandals. On the time, the TCN stated the event disrupted energy provide to Damaturu in Yobe and Maiduguri in Borno.

Once more in October 2024, the TCN stated its Shiroro-Mando transmission line was broken on account of sabotage, inflicting an influence outage in lots of northern states.

Expressing deep concern over the rising variety of instances of vandalism concentrating on transmission traces and towers on the time, the TCN warned that this pattern was severely disrupting the nation’s energy grid and infrastructure.

In November 2024, the Nigerian authorities stated it had spent about N8.8 billion to restore transmission towers vandalised throughout the nation. The Managing Director and Chief Govt Officer of TCN, Suleiman Abdulaziz, who disclosed this on the quarterly energy sector working group assembly on the time, defined that between 13 January and 27 November, 128 transmission towers have been destroyed by vandals or bandits throughout the nation.

On 18 December 2024, the TCN stated its 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line had been vandalised once more.

On 17 January, the TCN stated its 132kV transmission line and underground cables taking energy to the central space of Abuja and its environs have been vandalised, inflicting an influence outage to the seat of the Nigerian president.

On 19 January, the TCN stated over 18 transmission towers have been vandalised between 9 and 14 January throughout Rivers, Abia, and Kano states.

Once more within the month, the TCN stated its Tower T195 alongside the Ugwuaji–Makurdi 330kV transmission line was vandalised on 25 January, at Watuolo village, Utonkon, within the Ado native authorities space of Benue State.

Efforts

TCN continues to face vital challenges in defending its infrastructure.

To handle this, the Ministry of Energy allotted N8 billion in its 2025 finances particularly for advocacy, schooling, enlightenment, and provision of know-how to guard energy infrastructure.

Based on Mr Adelabu, the fund can be used to enlighten Nigerians on the significance of defending and taking possession of energy infrastructure and different nationwide property.

“We have now suffered sustained and extra violent assaults on our infrastructure. Should you recall, for over two weeks final 12 months, nearly the whole northern a part of the nation was thrown into darkness, as bandits and terrorists, not simply vandals, attacked our transmission traces and towers on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna transmission traces.

“Dynamites have been used to carry down the towers and the traces. This is only one of many such assaults throughout the nation. We have now obtained assist from the nation’s safety companies to handle these assaults, nevertheless it has not abated,” Mr Adelabu stated in January.

Business specialists warn that the continual theft of electrical energy and vandalism of infrastructure pose a major menace to the nation’s energy sector and financial development.

“The facility sector is dealing with a disaster of unprecedented proportions. The pervasive theft of electrical energy and deliberate destruction of energy infrastructure in Nigeria have reached disaster ranges, posing a major menace to the nation’s energy sector and financial development and growth,” Ogunrinde Adeola, an power knowledgeable, stated.

He stated if pressing motion was not taken to handle this drawback, the implications can be devastating.

Additionally talking with PREMIUM TIMES, Dan Kunle, an power knowledgeable, stated the facility trade woes are compounded by the each day vandalism of transmission traces, which has turn into a norm within the nation.

He stated this has resulted in vital monetary losses, additional exacerbating the sector’s precarious monetary scenario.

“The Nigerian electrical energy trade is bankrupt, is financially bankrupt, is technically bankrupt and with out enormous funding over the subsequent three to 4 years, the trade will proceed to be underneath the water.

“So with the vandalism of transmission traces taking place day-after-day, what do you count on? It’s a part of the chapter now. If an trade is technically bankrupt and financially bankrupt, what do you count on? If there isn’t a security and safety of the human assets of the nation, the land, agricultural land, bodily infrastructure like rail line, electrical energy line, pipeline, so what are you anticipating?

“There isn’t a answer in sight as a result of the funding and the capability to babysit this trade to the extent that may be self-sustained shouldn’t be but there,” he stated.

To handle the disaster, he beneficial a complete overhaul of the trade, together with elevated funding, improved safety measures, and a transparent coverage framework to handle electrical energy theft and vandalism.