The Federal Government has revealed it spent a staggering ₦8.8 billion to repair transmission towers destroyed by vandals and bandits.
This alarming disclosure came from the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Suleiman Ahmed Abdulaziz, during a Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja.
Abdulaziz, represented by TCN’s Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider, Engr. Olugbenga Emmanuel Ajiboye, described the situation as dire.
Since January 13, 2024, 128 transmission towers across Nigeria have been attacked and destroyed.
Abdulaziz expressed frustration over the repeated cycle of vandalism.
He lamented that vandals, once caught and handed over to the police, often get bailed and return to wreak more havoc.
“As I speak to you today, 128 towers have been destroyed by vandals or bandits,” he said.
“We have spent about ₦8.8 billion to restore them to functional use.”
Abdulaziz criticized how the police handle these cases.
“Whenever we hand them over to the police, they are charged with theft instead of vandalism,” he explained.
“If they were charged with vandalism, they wouldn’t be eligible for bail. But because it’s treated as theft, they keep getting bailed.”
This has made it nearly impossible to deter repeat offenders, he added.
The destruction of critical infrastructure is not just costly but also dangerous.
Abdulaziz shared how difficult it is to carry out repairs in high-risk areas.
“When the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna towers were destroyed, we needed military escorts for our contractors,” he revealed.
“In some cases, we were only allowed to work for two hours a day.”
In other instances, contractors were warned that it wasn’t safe to proceed at all.
“How do we deliver electricity under these terrible conditions?” Abdulaziz asked.
The persistent attacks have left Nigeria’s power sector struggling to meet demand.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, highlighted a more hopeful development.
Adelabu disclosed that Nigeria is working with the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to expand electricity access.
The ambitious plan aims to provide power to 50 million Nigerians by 2030.
Adelabu, represented by his Chief Technical Adviser, Mr. Adedayo Olowoniyi, explained the broader goal.
The “Mission 300” project, led by the World Bank and AfDB, aims to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
“Nigeria will benefit by providing electricity to 50 million of its citizens,” Adelabu said.
He acknowledged that Nigeria’s large population still lacks reliable access to electricity.
“This is a great opportunity for us,” he added.
The project involves collaboration between Nigeria’s Power Ministry, the Ministry of Finance, and international partners.
Adelabu outlined the next steps in the process.
“The Compact document will be signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Tanzania in January 2025,” he revealed.
This document, developed with input from various countries, will formalize Nigeria’s participation in the initiative.
Adelabu emphasized that private and public sector involvement will be critical.
“We need to drive this process ourselves,” he said.
