FG Spent N8.8b To Fix 128 Vandalised Transmission Towers

The Federal Government, FG, has revealed that about N8.8 billion has been spent to repair and put into functional use power transmission towers attacked by vandals and bandits across the country.

The Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Communications, Bolaji Tunji, made this public in a statement he issued on Wednesday.

Tunji said the Managing Director of the Transition Company of Nigeria, Engr. Suleiman Ahmed Abdulaziz, made the disclosure at the Quarterly Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja.

Abdulaziz, who was represented by the Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider of TCN, Engr. Olugbenga Emmanuel Ajiboye said that between January 13, 2024 and now, 128 transmission towers had been destroyed either by vandals or bandits, across the country.

He lamented that when the vandals were apprehended and handed over to police for prosecution, they were bailed and they would return and continue with the vandalism.

“As I talk to you today, 128 of our towers have been destroyed by either vandals or bandits. Till date, we have spent about N8.8 billion by our estimation, to put them back to full and functional use. It is so sad that each time the vandals were caught and taken to police for prosecution, police would incident them for theft, instead of vandalism and they will be bailed. If they are charged for vandalism, they cannot be bailed, but this is where we are. So many of them have been arrested, but each time they will be bailed because police often incident their cases as that of theft.

“When the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna towers were destroyed, we had to get the full military escorts for our contractors to get the transmission lines and towers restored and in some cases, they would tell us that we could only work for two hours on some days. In some instances, they would even tell us that it was not safe to move there. How do we get out of this? How can we deliver electricity to Nigerians under these terrible circumstances? These are part of the challenges we are facing in the power sector.”

At the meeting, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. also disclosed that the Federal Government was working in collaboration with the World Bank and the African Development Bank to make electricity available to 50 million Nigerians by the year 2030.

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Adelabu, who was represented by his Chief Technical Adviser, Adedayo Olowoniyi, said the Nigerian government was working with the Word Bank and the African Development Bank to get 300 million Africans to have access to electricity by the year 2030.

He said the Power Ministry is collaborating with its Finance counterpart to get this process achieved.

“The mission 300 is being driven by the World Bank and the African Development Bank and it is a project that will provide electricity to 300 millions Africans and Nigeria will benefit 50 millions from this. Nigeria has a large population that is without electricity and this is a great opportunity for us to be part of this process.

“The Compact document will be signed by our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Tanzania in January, 2025. We worked extensively with World Bank, the AfDB and the Ministry of Finance to develop the document with all the countries that will be participating in it.

“The most important thing is that we have to drive the process by ourselves through the private and public sector participation. We will do it through the solar form system, mini and micro grid, grid extension and connection”, the Minister said.