The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency has stepped up nationwide inspection, testing, and certification activities to enhance electrical safety and system reliability in line with its renewed enforcement mandate under the Electricity Act 2023.
In a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, Head of Communications and Protocol, Ama Umoren, said the agency’s field inspectors recently detected 31 critical safety defects on the Afikpo 33kV feeder and Nibo Injection Substation operated by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company in Ebonyi State.
Led by Osita Obiukwu of the Enugu Inspectorate Office, the inspection uncovered several lapses, including right-of-way violations, vegetation encroachment, damaged cross-arms, undersized conductors, and aging 33kV overhead lines running dangerously close to residential and commercial areas.
NEMSA has given EEDC a four-week deadline to rectify all identified faults to prevent potential electrical hazards that could endanger lives and property.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency has intensified its nationwide monitoring, testing, and inspection of electrical installations to assure safety, stability, and reliability of power networks across the country.
“In one of such recent field operations, NEMSA officials carried out technical inspections of the Afikpo 33kV feeder as well as the inspection of the Nibo Injection Substation in Ebonyi State, where 31 critical defects were detected and reported for urgent correction. Consequently, the Agency has directed the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to immediately rectify all identified defects to avert potential hazards that could lead to loss of lives and property.
“Pursuant to the Electricity Act 2023, NEMSA is mandated to enforce compliance with safety requirements for the construction, operation, and maintenance of electrical power plants, transmission systems, distribution networks, and electrical installations, as well as provide comprehensive technical support services that assure the efficient production and delivery of safe and reliable electricity supply.”
