Report Reveals FG spent N29bn to Restore Broken Energy Towers

Report Reveals FG spent N29bn to Restore Broken Energy Towers

The Federal Authorities, via the Transmission Firm of Nigeria (TCN) has spent a complete sum of N29.3bn as prices to restore 266 electrical energy towers broken by vandals nationwide, the most recent information obtained from TCN confirmed.

The incidents that occurred between January 2022 and October 2024, a interval of 34 months, have affected energy availability and accessibility throughout the federation.

This comes as the most recent Africa Commerce Barometer report has revealed that Nigeria loses $26bn yearly to energy failures.

In line with information obtained by Financial Confidential from TCN’s month-to-month bulletin and information studies on Monday, 266 energy transmission towers had been destroyed by vandals in numerous components of the nation.

The vandalism of transmission towers occurred within the Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Bauchi, Port Harcourt, and Benin areas. TCN contracts out the repairs of among the vandalised towers.

It had additionally deployed in-house engineers of the transmission firm to work on different vandalised towers.

In line with vitality specialists, it prices about N110m to repair every vandalised tower, and a cumulative N29.26bn to restore 266 towers.

A breakdown of the report confirmed that 90 towers had been destroyed in 2022. This determine elevated by 23.3 per cent to 111 towers in 2023. Within the present yr, electrical energy tower vandalism occurred 65 occasions between January and October 27, 2024.

Additional evaluation confirmed that in 2022, 21 towers on the 132kv Kano-Kankia transmission line two had been destroyed, and 16 towers had been broken underneath the Kano-Kankia line one.

Equally, 19 towers on the Makurdi-Jos double circuit transmission line had been vandalised, amongst others.

In 2023, 15 towers on the 132kv Owerri-Ahaoda transmission line in Port-Harcourt had been broken and 13 towers on the 132kv Ahaoda-Yenegoa transmission line had been vandalised.

Additionally, 122 earthen conductors, 244 galvanised bolts, nuts, and copper cable lugs from the remaining towers had been stolen.

Among the many notable incidents within the first ten months of 2024 was the collapse of Tower 388 on the 132kV Jos-Bauchi line within the Bauchi/Yelwa single circuit transmission line, as had been Towers 377 and 378 on the 330kV Gombe-Damaturu line alongside Bauchi/Gombe and Damaturu. Further collapses had been reported on the 330kV Damaturu-Maiduguri line, together with Towers 125, 126, 193, 194, and 195.

Within the Bauchi-Gombe space, 450, 452, 453, and 455 on the 132kV line had been vandalised, and Tower 70 on the 330kV Gwagwalada-Katampe line in Abuja noticed 4 of its footings destroyed.

Vandals additionally carted tower members of the 330kv Jos-Gombe from towers 288 to 291.

Regardless of enhancements in energy era, vandalism continues to undermine these developments, difficult the federal government’s skill to make sure a steady energy provide throughout the nation.

This in depth harm has considerably impacted the electrical energy provide within the affected areas, as famous by officers from the TCN, which manages the nation’s energy grid.

Confirming this, a brand new report by Normal Financial institution said that Nigeria loses an estimated $26bn yearly to energy failures.

The price which excludes spending on off-grid mills impacts operational prices.

It added that companies spend about $22bn yearly on off-grid gas to offset the impression of energy shortages.

“Financial losses arising from Nigeria’s electrical energy shortages are estimated to be $26bn yearly, with out accounting for spending on gas for off-grid mills, which is estimated to be an extra $22bn.

“Blackouts trigger downtime of manufacturing, threat the standard of products that require managed environments, impression water provide, and have an effect on telecommunications infrastructure which companies might depend on for funds. The result’s decreased gross sales and earnings.

“In Nigeria, surveyed companies should cope with a nationwide grid that often collapses because it fails to fulfill a every day peak demand which is sort of 4 occasions its era capability,” the report learn.

Final week, the Affiliation of Energy Producing Firms stated the nationwide grid has collapsed 162 occasions within the final 11 years.

Commenting, an knowledgeable within the vitality sector, Professor Wumi Iledare, said that tower vandalism is legal and hinders the federal government’s dedication to extend vitality accessibility, affordability, and availability.

He stated vandalism discourages investments and will increase vitality prices.

The knowledgeable, talking in an interview, stated, “The act of vandalisation is legal. There are three essential issues to bear in mind anytime you have a look at vandalization. When there may be an incident, three essential issues are compromised. You’re compromising vitality availability, making vitality accessibility tougher and, lastly, affecting vitality affordability. It’s because vitality prices will go up anytime the transmission firm has to incur further prices and that price will probably be transferred to the buyer.

“It’s an act of criminality to vandalise property and must be handled as such. In a civilised economic system, such an individual will probably be taken to courtroom and prosecuted. This additionally exhibits why an unskilled inhabitants could be very harmful and our legislators are making governance tougher. This sort of behaviour makes it tougher for individuals to spend money on the sector which is meant to extend vitality accessibility. The financial implications are monumental. The price incurred by providers offered to develop the economic system can also be affected. The federal government should start to prosecute offenders for this.”

In the meantime, the TCN stated it’s collaborating with the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Adviser to restore the vandalised Shiroro-Kaduna line that led to the discount of bulk electrical energy to Kaduna, Kano, and different main cities within the north.

In an earlier assertion, the Basic Supervisor of Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah, stated the agency is working diligently to revive bulk energy provide as rapidly as potential regardless of prevailing safety challenges.

It additionally debunked studies suggesting an indefinite energy outage in components of Northern Nigeria.

The assertion learn, “The present outage affecting Northern states for a number of days now could be a results of vandalism of the Shiroro-Mando transmission line—a important infrastructure that provides electrical energy to the area. Prevailing insecurity within the space has delayed the fast restore needed to revive provide.

“Nevertheless, as a brief measure, TCN had rerouted bulk energy provide via the Ugwuaji-Apir 330kV line, which lately snapped.

“TCN has been collaborating intently with the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Adviser to work with our engineers to entry the vandalism web site to allow them to impact needed repairs. That is important to make sure the security of lives through the repairs.

“We stay steadfast in our dedication to overcoming these challenges as a result of we perceive the place of electrical energy within the socio-economic lives of the individuals and the acute inconveniences this case is inflicting the federal government and all electrical energy clients in all of the affected areas.

“We pledge to not relent in doing the whole lot potential to rectify the issues and restore energy provide to the affected areas.”