• Power minister wants end to vandalism, estimated billing
• NERC seeks stronger collaboration, regulatory compliance
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday declared force majeure on its Oworonshoki 132/33kV and Lekki 330/132kV transmission substations in Lagos after severe flooding caused by persistent rainfall disrupted operations at the facilities.
The development came even as the federal government pledged tougher measures against vandalism, estimated billing, and other challenges undermining the electricity sector.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, called for an end to vandalism of power infrastructure, grid sabotage, energy theft, and estimated billing, insisting that restoring the country’s electricity sector requires collective responsibility from all participants in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on its part, urged stronger collaboration among operators, strict regulatory compliance, improved customer service, and greater transparency to accelerate reforms in the industry.
In a statement, TCN explained that the force majeure declaration followed flooding triggered by continuous rainfall in Lagos, which severely affected operations at its Oworonshoki Transmission Substation.
According to the company, although the Lekki 132kV Transmission Substation remained operational because water was being continuously pumped out of the facility, the Oworonshoki substation had been forced out of service after floodwaters affected two of its power transformers.
TCN disclosed that the affected transformers, identified as TR1 with a capacity of 60MVA and TR3 with a capacity of 30MVA, tripped on no-load and could not be restored despite repeated attempts.
It added that all the protection and control cables connected to the transformers had become submerged, making restoration efforts impossible until the floodwaters receded.
The company said efforts by its engineers to evacuate the water had so far proved ineffective because of the continued heavy rainfall.
“Our engineers are doing everything possible to evacuate the flood to enable them to test the transformers for restoration,” the company stated.
TCN apologised for the disruption, expressing regret over the inconvenience to customers of Eko Electricity Distribution Company supplied from the affected transmission substation.
The development underscores the vulnerability of critical electricity infrastructure to extreme weather events and comes as the government intensifies efforts to improve grid reliability and expand electricity access nationwide.
Speaking at the second-quarter Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry Stakeholders’ Meeting, convened by NERC, Tegbe stressed that Nigeria’s electricity crisis could only be resolved through collective action involving generation companies, distribution companies, TCN, Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), regulators, and government.
According to him, while reforms are ongoing, the immediate priority is protecting existing infrastructure from destruction.
He described vandalism, grid sabotage, and energy theft as acts of “economic warfare” against Nigerian households, stating that power infrastructure should be designated and protected as Critical National Assets.
The minister said the government would simultaneously optimise existing infrastructure by identifying weak points on the grid, deploying emergency spinning reserves, fast-tracking relay replacements, and extracting maximum available capacity from current assets while new infrastructure was being developed.
On the issue of electricity billing, Tegbe criticised the continued use of estimated billing, saying it unfairly penalises consumers while concealing inefficiencies within the system.
He maintained that the government would work with stakeholders to accelerate nationwide metering, reduce Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, and ensure fairness in electricity billing.
The minister also reiterated plans to implement a sustainable tariff transition framework that protects vulnerable consumers while providing investors with sufficient regulatory certainty to commit long-term capital to the sector.
He emphasised that tariff reforms would only succeed if market discipline was strengthened and payment obligations across the electricity value chain were fully respected.
According to him, financial discipline remains critical to the survival of the sector.
Tegbe added that debt obligations and cost structures must become more transparent to build confidence among operators and investors.
He said the government was committed to transparent Distribution Remittance Obligation calculations and greater openness in sector finances.
Beyond financial transparency, Tegbe disclosed that the ministry intended to publish key performance indicators and scorecards for electricity generation and distribution companies to promote accountability and reward operational excellence.
He revealed that institutional reforms would encourage full private sector ownership of distribution companies under a strong and independent regulatory framework capable of attracting sustained investment and improving service delivery.
The minister assured Nigerians that the ongoing reforms would prioritise transparency, speed, and accountability, promising that individuals who undermine the sector through sabotage or other illegal activities would be held accountable.
At the same stakeholders’ meeting, NERC Chairman, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, underscored the need for stronger collaboration among industry participants, greater adherence to regulatory requirements, improved customer service, and enhanced transparency.
The meeting, which reviewed the performance of the electricity sector during the second quarter of 2026, was attended by key stakeholders, including Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration, Rilwan Babalola, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mamman.
Discussions at the meeting focused on grid stability, deployment of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, transmission infrastructure, market remittances, customer compensation, as well as progress on metering initiatives, including the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).
Stakeholders acknowledged that although progress had been made in stabilising the sector, sustained reforms, stronger regulatory enforcement and increased investment remained essential to improving the reliability, efficiency, and financial sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity industry.
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