The Minister of Energy, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has known as on the Nationwide Meeting to enact stricter laws to safeguard the nation’s energy infrastructure from vandalism.
Adelabu made the decision throughout a two-day retreat organised by the Senate Committee on Energy.
In accordance with the minister, vandalism shouldn’t be handled as a civil offence however a legal problem, including that energy theft, nonpayment of payments by customers, and unlawful connections are essential components that should be tackled.
Adelabu acknowledged that despite the challenges, the grid has been stabilised.
“The extent of stability on our grid as we speak isn’t by chance however exhausting work and expenditure.”
In 2024, TCN put in 61 new transformers by both changing aged ones or constructing new ones.
Additionally in 2025, throughout the first 4 months, TCN put in about 13 new transformers, and there are high-capacity transformers starting from 10 megawatts to 300 megawatts. Put collectively, they run into lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} to put in, and these are what our individuals nonetheless exit to vandalise.
“Our towers are toppled by saboteurs and vandals, we now have unlawful connections, and other people tamper with meters,” he added.
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The minister urged acceptable laws and public vigilance to guard “nationwide belongings that belong to each Nigerian.”
“We want extra stringent laws to sort out this drawback”, he mentioned.
In a press release by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, the minister additionally made a case for the Transmission Firm of Nigeria (TCN) in appropriation, saying that the company doesn’t come up with the money for to fund its operations.
Adelabu spoke on the persistent disaster threatening to derail progress within the sector, which is persistent underinvestment in distribution infrastructure.
He revealed obvious disparities in distribution corporations’ (DisCos’) efficiency, with getting older networks, rampant electrical energy theft, and poor funding deepening reliance on unsustainable subsidies and leaving thousands and thousands in darkness.
He famous that regardless of tariff changes that boosted market liquidity by 70 per cent—elevating the sector’s income from N1 trillion in 2023 to N1.7 trillion in 2024—the distribution section stays the weakest hyperlink.
“Within the fourth quarter of 2024, DisCos within the North remitted simply N124.4 billion (30 per cent) of their N408.86 billion bill, with Abuja DisCo accounting for 85 per cent of northern funds.
“Southern DisCos fared barely higher, remitting N254.6 billion (67 per cent), although 70 per cent of this got here from Lagos DisCos alone.
“These discrepancies are due largely to crumbling infrastructure outdoors financial hubs, the place underinvestment has left networks dilapidated.”
