The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has revealed that it has spent more than ₦88 billion repairing vandalised power infrastructure nationwide since 2021 — a figure that officials say is crippling efforts to expand and modernise the country’s fragile electricity network.
Speaking during a public sensitisation campaign against vandalism at the Odogunyan 132kV Transmission Substation in Ikorodu, TCN Principal Manager, Lines, Engr. Seyi Onabajo, said the losses are forcing the company to divert critical funds away from much-needed upgrades into emergency repairs.
“Taxes meant for rebuilding and upgrading the power system are now being swallowed by repair bills. We cannot continue to spend so much on fixing vandalised power towers when building a new tower from scratch is actually cheaper,” Onabajo warned.
Vandalism Stalls Planned Power Upgrades
General Manager of TCN’s Lagos Region, Engr. Mojeed Akintola, said that while Ikorodu is slated for transmission upgrades, recurring acts of vandalism have repeatedly delayed those plans.
According to him, repair work can take three to four months after each attack — leaving entire communities without electricity for extended periods.
“When vandalism occurs, funds earmarked for network expansion are diverted to repairs. The amount spent on these fixes is often more than three times the initial construction cost, and many of these repairs were never budgeted for in the first place,” Akintola said.
The Lagos region has begun quarterly awareness drives, involving community leaders, security agencies, steel companies, and local stakeholders in the fight against vandalism.
Economic and Security Fallout
Akintola emphasised that vandalism not only disrupts power supply but also causes ripple effects throughout the economy, slowing production, raising operational costs for businesses, and affecting livelihoods.
The scale of losses has prompted calls for tighter community surveillance. Divisional Police Officer, Ogijo Police Station, CSP Fatoberu Oyekan, urged TCN to work with community leaders to set up local vigilante groups dedicated to guarding power assets.
“With the joint effort of vigilantes, security agencies, and community leaders, vandalism can be drastically reduced, if not eradicated,” Oyekan said.
A Costly National Problem
The TCN figures add to growing concern about the vulnerability of Nigeria’s transmission grid, which experts say is already overstretched. Each act of vandalism not only delays infrastructure projects but also pushes up the cost of electricity delivery, ultimately borne by consumers and taxpayers.
