N9bn Spent to Restore Vandalized Power Infrastructure in Northern Nigeria – Minister

The federal government spent over N9 billion in 2024 to restore power infrastructure that was vandalized in Northern Nigeria, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, revealed on Thursday. He expressed concern over the rising cases of vandalism, which he said were severely hindering efforts to ensure consistent power supply across the country.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu clarified that the proposed N8 billion allocation in the 2025 budget was not for the sensitization of electricity bill payments, as some have suggested. Instead, it is intended for advocacy, education, and the provision of technology to protect power infrastructure. The initiative aims to raise awareness among Nigerians about the importance of safeguarding national assets like the power infrastructure.

“The advocacy program will focus on educating the public about the need to protect power infrastructure and ensure that they take ownership of national assets,” Adelabu explained. “This is not about sensitizing people on paying electricity bills, as has been misconstrued.”

Adelabu further elaborated on the substantial impact of vandalism, particularly highlighting the destruction of transmission towers and lines along the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna power line in 2023. This attack led to widespread power outages in parts of Northern Nigeria, and efforts to restore the affected infrastructure have been hampered by ongoing security challenges, including banditry in the region.

“To restore the transmission towers and lines destroyed by terrorists on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) spent over N9 billion. However, repairs are still not completed due to continued attacks by bandits,” Adelabu said. “Just last weekend, almost half of Abuja was plunged into darkness because of the activities of vandals.”

He emphasized that such incidents were not isolated, noting that the vandalism of Nigeria’s power infrastructure has worsened in recent years. “The frequency and intensity of attacks have escalated dramatically. Last year, nearly the entire northern part of the country was in darkness for over two weeks because of coordinated attacks on our transmission lines and towers. Dynamite was used to bring down the towers, among other destructive methods,” he said.

Despite these setbacks, Adelabu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing power infrastructure challenges. One key effort is the ongoing second phase of the Siemens power project, which is expected to help resolve some of the issues contributing to grid collapse. The second phase, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, will involve the construction of 14 brownfield substations and 20 greenfield substations, which will further enhance the country’s electricity grid capacity.

The first phase of the Siemens project included the installation of 8 power transformers and 5 mobile substations across various states, including Kogi, Delta, Lagos, Yobe, and Abuja. Adelabu noted that the first phase is 95% complete and has already contributed significantly to improving power supply in the affected regions.

Additionally, the minister highlighted that work on the SCADA project, which will enhance grid monitoring and control, is ongoing and will complement the government’s broader efforts to stabilize the electricity grid.

“We are fully committed to tackling the grid collapse issues, which have been a result of decades of neglect,” Adelabu concluded. “The Siemens project, along with other initiatives, will help modernize the grid and reduce the frequency of collapses, ensuring a more reliable power supply for all Nigerians.”