• TCN mum over complicity
• Over $7 billion loan for transmission infrastructure under threat
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has kept mum over allegations of insider threats and collusions in the routine vandalisation of the country’s electricity transmission network, which has in two years cost N12.8 billion to fix.
The Guardian estimate shows that over 117 132kv/330kv electricity towers have been vandalised nationwide between January 2022 and February 2024, leaving the country with a multiplier economic loss.
It costs about N110 million to fix each of the vandalised assets, and a cumulative N12.8 billion to repair 117 towers.
With the TCN, headed by Sule Abdulaziz, remaining a major weak link in the power sector, the prevailing vandalism brings a snag to the over $7 billion loans taken by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to overhaul the transmission segment of the electricity sector and deliver stable supply.
Stakeholders are concerned that vandalism is rising at a time of economic crisis, worsening power supply that has slumped to about 3,000MW, and yet unsettled loans on transmission infrastructure.
While TCN had handed over the repairs of its infrastructure to in-house engineers after years of using contractors, Abdulaziz became the Managing Director of the organisation in 2020 with confirmation in 2022. His appointment came after the former MD, Usman Gur, fell out with the late chief of staff of Buhari, Abba Kyari over the Siemens power deal. Gur had reportedly stood against the deal over its elusive promises.
Apart from the situation in the northeast where insurgents attack infrastructure, the vandalism of electricity infrastructure became prominent under Abdulaziz and since the in-house engineers took over repairs.
On February 7 this year, The Guardian contacted the spokesperson of TCN, Ndidi Mba, to explain the situation surrounding the vandalism but there was no response.
On March 1, when The Guardian contacted her again, she responded with a text that she was “not well”.
On March 15, The Guardian contacted her to explain the allegations of the involvement of the agency in the vandalism but there was no response.
Since privatisation, TCN, the only power sector entity remaining solely in the hands of the government, benefited from the many borrowings of Buhari and donations from international organisations.
While generation capacity in the country stands at 13,000MW, wheeling capacity is dismal and the government resorted to borrowing to up the capacity, but vandalism became a major problem amidst the collapse of the national grid.
On average, four to five towers have been vandalised monthly in the last 26 months, an indication that the vandalism of high-tension towers, usually avoided in the past as a high risk, is now a thriving business.
Between 2015 and end of 2022, the Federal Government had said TCN completed about 105 projects for $2 billion loaned from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and others.
While reconductoring and construction of new transmission lines hovering around 900 kilometres were part of the projects, the number of projects vandalised are way higher than the completed ones.
Through its Transmission Expansion Project, the Nigerian government-owned TCN was expected to improve wheeling capacity to 10,000MW, but the capacity has been around 6,000MW even as actual capacity has not consistently surpassed about 4,500MW. In addition to the many cases, TCN last week said the Shiroro-Katampe 330kV transmission line was vandalised and a component stolen by vandals.
The company, in February, reported the vandalism and destruction of two of its transmission towers, T377 and T378, along the Gombe–Damaturu 330kV transmission line.
Coming as a failure to the critical infrastructure protection objective of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), TCN is currently seeking to use CCTV to check vandalism.
Energy analyst, Lanre Elatuyi, said the frequency of incidents of vandalism of transmission infrastructure is disturbing.
The economic loss according to him is worrisome at a time that Nigeria is going through some economic crisis. “For many years, Nigeria has not been able to find a lasting solution to the problem of poor electricity supply, and recently there have been calls for the declaration of state of emergency in the sector.
“The activities of vandals have aggravated the issues in the already troubled sector battling with poor performances of the market participants and acute illiquidity. Most of the projects in transmission were funded by borrowed funds that the FG has not paid back.
“To make matters worse, we are now spending borrowed funds to repair infrastructure with no sight to cost recovery of the initial investments,” he said.
Calling for investigations on the vandalism, Elatuyi said the possible collaboration of the TCN with vandals would remain mere allegations until some arrests are made and the people involved are found guilty after prosecution.
“I have always asked for the motive of the vandals. Besides, it will take some level of investment and expertise to vandalize 330KV and 132KV transmission lines, so there must be some economic incentives for the vandals.
“Therefore, there must be a ban on open market sales of some electrical products. The government must make it impossible for anyone to buy and sell transmission or distribution lines, and the practice of individuals and communities buying poles and wires must stop,” Elatuyi said.
Founder, Enpower Consult Africa, and power sector expert, Dr Ibrahim Danbatta said if the allegations of internal collusion with the vandals are proven genuine, it is an enormous breach of trust within TCN.
“TCN must conduct a comprehensive investigation into these claims and take swift action against anyone found to be complicit in such unlawful acts. Internal security measures can be strengthened, monitoring systems should be improved, and stronger vandalism fines should equally be implemented to deter possible accomplices,” Danbatta said.
He noted that borrowing over $7 billion to invest in transmission infrastructure shows the government’s commitment to upgrading the country’s power industry; the continuous vandalism of the infrastructures has a significant impact on these efforts.
Danbatta noted that working with law enforcement and local communities is of the utmost importance in fighting vandalism, adding that engaging community leaders, raising awareness of the significance of maintaining transmission infrastructure, and promoting information sharing on suspicious activities could all help to secure assets.
He said: “Tackling the issue of vandalism entails a multifaceted approach that includes increased security, greater enforcement of laws, community engagement, and severe sanctions.
“Only through concerted work and collaboration will we be able to effectively protect Nigeria’s transmission system and ensure a consistent supply of power for the country’s development.”
Former President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Professor of Economics at Babcock University, Segun Ajibola, said the recurring vandalisation of power transmission infrastructure and distribution seem to have defied solution.
“Hardly can this vandalisation succeed without the hands of skilled individuals who allegedly are mostly serving or retired personnel of TCN and its organs.
“Therefore, TCN and its organs need to up the ante in fighting vandalisation of their facilities. This menace continues to drag back the performance of power transmission and distribution agencies in Nigeria. Anyone caught in this unwholesome practice should be severely dealt with. Internal collaborators must be heavily punished to serve as a deterrence,” he said.
Energy expert, Dan Kunle, decried Nigeria’s attitude of poor management, adding that with the inefficient culture and rhetoric there is a need for high quality leadership and management across the entire industry chains.
He said, while the 330kv and 132kv high tension lines span across Nigeria and continue to expand daily, the maintenance remains very slow and poor vis a vis population growth and power needs.
Lamenting over the worsening security issues in the country, Kunle said security and safety architecture of Nigeria is under pressure, therefore, TCN is not an exception.
“Today the case of insecurity is national. The Federal Government will need to deploy the Army to secure all our power transmissions and farmlands,” he said.
Another stakeholder, Bode Fadipe, said the prevailing situation is as shameful as it is sad, stressing that it has come to the point where persons from within the system are looked at with the eye of vandals.
Fadipe said there’s a need for a thorough investigation and anyone found culpable must be severely dealt with.
According to him, it does not matter whether the punishment will serve as a deterrent or not, people found culpable must be severely dealt with using the law.
“Power assets remain critical assets. They must be protected with everything that the nation has. The temptation to ask TCN to give out the protection of the towers and other power facilities to private security firms will increase their overhead and consequently the cost at which electricity will be sold to the end users,” he said.
