Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has stepped up efforts to curb the persistent vandalism of electricity infrastructure, warning that sabotage of power assets remains a major threat to grid stability and service delivery in the South-West region.
NERC made this known during a South-West Regional Sensitisation Workshop on Curbing Vandalism of Power Infrastructure in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, organised in partnership with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme, NESP, of the German development agency, GIZ.
The workshop brought together regulators, operators, security agencies, traditional rulers and development partners, reflecting what NERC described as a “shared responsibility” in safeguarding critical electricity assets.
The Commission noted that vandalism continues to disrupt grid operations, increase system losses and undermine investments in the power sector, with far-reaching implications for economic growth and national development.
Participants included representatives of the Minister of Power, traditional institutions, and top executives of key sector institutions, including the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO; Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN; and electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, operating across the South-West.
Discussions at the workshop focused on the impact of vandalism on grid operations, real-life accounts from DisCos on repeated attacks on facilities, and the need to deploy community-led approaches to protect power infrastructure, especially in remote and vulnerable locations.
NERC emphasised that strengthening collaboration among regulators, operators, communities, security agencies and development partners is critical to reversing the trend.
According to the Commission, the engagement reaffirmed its commitment to sustained stakeholder dialogue and regional cooperation as essential tools for improving grid stability, enhancing service delivery and building a resilient and sustainable electricity supply industry.
The regulator stressed that without collective action to tackle vandalism, gains from ongoing reforms and investments in Nigeria’s power sector could remain severely constrained.
