Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The federal government has moved to strengthen security around electricity infrastructure, with the setting up of a ministerial committee to coordinate the fight against vandalism, blamed for repeated power disruptions and costly repairs.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, convened the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja, bringing together security agencies and government institutions to develop a coordinated strategy for protecting assets across the electricity value chain, a statement from the ministry said.
“The committee was constituted in response to attacks on generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, which disrupt supply to consumers, increase repair costs and erode the investment on which the sector depends. Its mandate also includes defining the contribution each institution will make toward a lasting solution,” the statement added.
In recent years, the sector has witnessed significant from the activities of vandals who routinely attack critical infrastructure. For instance, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) recorded 42 vandalism incidents affecting 178 transmission towers in the first half of 2025 alone, highlighting the vulnerability of infrastructure critical to delivering electricity nationwide.
Between January and November 2024 alone, the government spent N8.8 billion repairing 128 vandalised transmission towers, diverting scarce resources from network expansion and modernisation to the restoration of damaged assets.
According to the statement, the committee’s inaugural meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Maj. Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa; directors from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA); the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); and officials of the federal ministry of power and relevant agencies.
It noted that participants agreed to align the committee’s work with ONSA’s critical infrastructure unit, reflecting the strategic importance of electricity assets to national security and economic activity.
Members of the committee, the statement explained, also resolved to enforce existing laws against vandalism, deploy technology to protect critical installations and intensify public sensitisation to discourage attacks.
It emphasised that the participating institutions pledged to coordinate their efforts and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.
The committee is expected to reconvene next week to assess progress and review the implementation of the agreed measures.