The Transmission Company of Nigeria says the Federal Government has spent ₦88 billion repairing and restoring power transmissionl facilities vandalised nationwide between 2021 and now.
TCN’s Principal Manager (Lines) for the Lagos Region, Seyi Onabajo, revealed this on Thursday during a one-day sensitisation programme at the Odogunyan 132kV Transmission Substation in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The event, which brought together community leaders, security agencies, company representatives, and religious leaders, aimed to address the growing problem of vandalism of TCN infrastructure.
Onabajo noted that vandalism has significantly hindered TCN’s ability to provide electricity to all communities. He said the sensitisation drive was necessary to engage stakeholders and enlist their support in tackling the menace.
“We know what the company is losing. All the money that we’ve contributed to the government that was supposed to be used for rebuilding this place, instead, we are using it for maintenance. Record has it that, between 2021 and the present date, the government has spent over N88bn just on repairs against this vandalism, which is alarming.
“We all are clamouring for a 24/7 supply of light, that’s why we are also concerned about making sure that all communities are being lit up. If we are spending so much on repairs, how do we achieve the aim of TCN for the community?
“That’s why we are calling on every one of us to please, let us join hands and rebuild this mission to become a better place. Vandalism, as you all know, is a deliberate act — when you disrupt and tamper with our transmission structures just for self-gain,” he said.
Emphasising the dangers of vandalism, the TCN General Manager for Transmission in Lagos State, Mojeed Akintola, noted that delays in repairs also deprive affected communities of power. He cited a recent incident that cost the agency millions of naira, underscoring the N88bn already spent on repairing vandalised facilities.
“Once a tower is vandalised, the downtime is always on the high side because you have to bring down the remaining one, then you start afresh. So, if you estimate that it’s running to either two, three, or four months.
“When the one at Abeokuta was vandalised, apart from the alternative source that we did, which took us four days, the repair of the 10 towers vandalised took three months. On that particular line, TCN spent N1m per day. If you now estimate that to three months, you know how much that will be,” Akintola said.
He urged community members, security agencies, steel companies, and the public to support TCN’s fight against vandalism, adding that the corporation would continue public sensitisation on its dangers and the need to safeguard its infrastructure.
In his remarks, the Divisional Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, A. J. Dokunmu, revealed that the Lagos State Government had set up an agency to monitor and profile dumpsite operators and scrap buyers.
He explained that this would aid the fight against vandalism by enabling effective monitoring of individual scrap operators. Dokunmu added that the NSCDC remained committed to arresting and prosecuting vandals.
