The Federal Government has revealed that over N8.8 billion has been spent to repair power transmission towers destroyed by vandals and bandits across the country.
This figure was disclosed during the Quarterly Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja, highlighting the persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector.
The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Engr. Suleiman Ahmed Abdulaziz, represented by the Executive Director of Transmission Service Provider, Engr. Olugbenga Emmanuel Ajiboye, reported that 128 transmission towers have been destroyed between January 2024 and now.
He lamented that efforts to curb vandalism have been thwarted by gaps in law enforcement, noting that vandals are frequently released on bail due to charges being misfiled as theft instead of vandalism.
“As of today, 128 of our towers have been destroyed. We have spent about N8.8 billion to restore them to functionality. It’s frustrating that when vandals are caught, they are charged with theft and granted bail. If charged for vandalism, they cannot be bailed, but this has not been the case,” Abdulaziz said.
The TCN chief also detailed the difficulties faced in restoring critical infrastructure, citing security concerns in volatile areas like Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna. Contractors often require military escorts, and even then, their work is limited to brief periods deemed safe.
“In some cases, we could only work for two hours in a day, and in others, contractors were advised not to proceed due to safety concerns. These challenges make delivering electricity to Nigerians incredibly difficult,” Abdulaziz added.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, outlined the Federal Government’s broader efforts to address Nigeria’s electricity deficit. Speaking through his Chief Technical Adviser, Mr. Adedayo Olowoniyi, Adelabu announced a collaboration with the World Bank and African Development Bank to provide electricity to 50 million Nigerians by 2030.
This initiative is part of the larger Mission 300 project, which aims to supply electricity to 300 million Africans.
“The Nigerian government is working closely with the World Bank, AfDB, and the Ministry of Finance to implement this ambitious plan. By leveraging solar power systems, mini and microgrids, and grid extensions, we aim to significantly reduce the number of Nigerians without electricity,” Adelabu said.
The Compact document for this initiative will be signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Tanzania in January 2025.
Adelabu emphasized the importance of public and private sector collaboration in achieving the project’s goals.
