The Nigerian power sector is grappling with a crippling crisis as rampant electricity theft and infrastructure vandalism continue to threaten power supply.
Although Nigeria is not able to generate enough electricity to power the country, the thefts and vandalism worsen the situation.
Due to these concerns, millions of homes and businesses have struggled without reliable access to electricity for decades.
In recent years, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported several incidents of vandalism, resulting in significant disruptions to power supply.
In June 2020, Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) said they lost over N30 billion of their monthly revenues to energy theft, meter bypass, vandalism and unpaid electricity bills by consumers.
In September 2021, the TCN said it lost N1.7 billion in nine months to vandalism of electricity infrastructure in Maiduguri and its environs.
In January 2025, the minister of power said over N9 billion was spent to restore vandalised power infrastructure in the northern part of Nigeria in 2024.
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Vandalism
Earlier in February 2024, the TCN said its tower number 388 along the Jos-Bauchi 132kV single circuit transmission line was vandalised. The company said the incident suspected to have occurred on the 1st of February, at about 10 p.m., led to a power outage in Yobe and Borno states.
Again in February 2024, the TCN said tower 70 along its 330kV Gwagwalada-Katampe transmission line was vandalised on 26 February, at about 11.32 p.m., reducing bulk power supply flexibility and the volume of power into Abuja by 250MW.
The vandalised transmission equipment
In March 2024, the TCN said one of its critical 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 power infrastructure across Nigeria at the time, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, recommended the death penalty for persons who steal power infrastructure.
The activities of vandals in 2024 threw the entire Bayelsa State into darkness for months. At the time, the Bayelsa State Government described the vandalisation of the electricity power towers, as a sabotage of the state’s economy.
In June 2024, the TCN said two of its towers, T193 and T194, along the Damaturu–Maiduguri 330 Kilo Volt (KV Single Circuit) transmission line that was vandalised on 28 December 2023 were again destroyed by vandals.
At the time, the TCN said the incident caused the collapse of both towers, cutting off power supply to Bayelsa, including its Yenagoa Substation and the Gbarain Power Station.
In September 2024, TCN said its tower T372, along the Gombe -Damaturu-Maiduguri 330 Kilovolt (kV) transmission line, was brought down by vandals. At the time, the TCN said the development disrupted power supply to Damaturu in Yobe and Maiduguri in Borno.
Again in October 2024, the TCN said its Shiroro-Mando transmission line was damaged due to sabotage, causing a power outage in many northern states.
Expressing deep concern over the rising number of cases of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers at the time, the TCN warned that this trend was severely disrupting the nation’s power grid and infrastructure.
On 18 December 2024, the TCN said its 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line had been vandalised again.
On 17 January, the TCN said its 132kV transmission line and underground cables taking power to the central area of Abuja and its environs were vandalised, causing a power outage to the seat of the Nigerian president.
On 19 January, the TCN said over 18 transmission towers were vandalised between 9 and 14 January across Rivers, Abia, and Kano states.
Again in the month, the TCN said its Tower T195 along the Ugwuaji–Makurdi 330kV transmission line was vandalised on 25 January, at Watuolo village, Utonkon, in the Ado local government area of Benue State.
TCN continues to face significant challenges in protecting its infrastructure.
To address this, the Ministry of Power allocated N8 billion in its 2025 budget specifically for advocacy, education, enlightenment, and provision of technology to protect power infrastructure.
According to Mr Adelabu, the fund will be used to enlighten Nigerians on the importance of protecting and taking ownership of power infrastructure and other national assets.
“We have suffered sustained and more violent attacks on our infrastructure. If you recall, for over two weeks last year, almost the entire northern part of the country was thrown into darkness, as bandits and terrorists, not just vandals, attacked our transmission lines and towers on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna transmission lines.
“Dynamites were used to bring down the towers and the lines. This is just one of many such attacks across the nation. We have received support from the nation’s security agencies to address these attacks, but it has not abated,” Mr Adelabu said in January.
Industry experts warn that the continuous theft of electricity and vandalism of infrastructure pose a significant threat to the country’s power sector and economic growth.
“The power sector is facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions. The pervasive theft of electricity and deliberate destruction of power infrastructure in Nigeria have reached crisis levels, posing a significant threat to the country’s power sector and economic growth and development,” Ogunrinde Adeola, an energy expert, said.
He said if urgent action was not taken to address this problem, the consequences would be devastating.
Also speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Dan Kunle, an energy expert, said the power industry woes are compounded by the daily vandalism of transmission lines, which has become a norm in the country.
He said this has resulted in significant financial losses, further exacerbating the sector’s precarious financial situation.
“The Nigerian electricity industry is bankrupt, is financially bankrupt, is technically bankrupt and without huge investment over the next three to four years, the industry will continue to be under the water.
“So with the vandalism of transmission lines happening every day, what do you expect? It’s part of the bankruptcy now. If an industry is technically bankrupt and financially bankrupt, what do you expect? If there is no safety and security of the human resources of the country, the land, agricultural land, physical infrastructure like rail line, electricity line, pipeline, so what are you expecting?
“There is no solution in sight because the investment and the capacity to babysit this industry to the level that can be self-sustained is not yet there,” he said.
To address the crisis, he recommended a comprehensive overhaul of the industry, including increased investment, improved security measures, and a clear policy framework to address electricity theft and vandalism.
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