- He disclosed this during the Quarterly Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja
The Federal Government has spent N8.8 billion on repairing and restoring transmission towers vandalised across various regions of the country in 2024, according to the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Suleiman Abdulaziz.
He disclosed this during the Quarterly Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja.
Abdulaziz, represented by the Executive Director of TCN’s Transmission Service Provider, Olugbenga Ajiboye, revealed that 128 transmission towers had been destroyed by vandals or bandits between January and November 2024.
“By our estimation, we have spent about N8.8bn to restore them to full functionality,” he said, highlighting the extent of the damage.
Abdulaziz also expressed frustration over the lack of prosecutions for arrested vandals, explaining that they are often charged with theft instead of vandalism, allowing them to be granted bail. He criticised this loophole, noting, “If they are charged for vandalism, they cannot be bailed, but this is where we are.”
He further described the difficulties in restoring the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna transmission towers, noting that contractors had to be escorted by military personnel due to security concerns, sometimes being limited to just two hours of work per day.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, represented by Chief Technical Adviser Adedayo Olowoniyi, added that the government is collaborating with the World Bank and the African Development Bank to provide electricity to 50 million Nigerians by 2030.