Damage to electricity equipment by vandals is the main reason why Nigeria experiences frequent nationwide power cuts, according to the country’s power transmission company.
Charles Iwuamadi, a senior manager at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), made this statement on Wednesday during a community meeting in Umelu, Edo State. He revealed that vandalism of power equipment has increased by 30% over the past five years.
“Vandalism is directly proportional to the number of system collapses. A greater number of times when we have grid collapse, it is as a result of vandalism,” Iwuamadi explained to the community.
“In the last five years, vandalism has increased by over 30 per cent. If not for how we have been managing the system, the number of collapses would have doubled.”
The TCN official warned that people who steal or damage power equipment are putting the entire national electricity network at risk. He explained that when just one power line is vandalised, it can cause problems that spread across the whole country, leading to blackouts everywhere.
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‘Building under power lines is dangerous’
Iwuamadi also raised concerns about people illegally building houses and other structures directly under high-voltage power lines. He warned that this practice puts entire families in serious danger.
“Residing under transmission towers exposes people to high radiation, health hazards, and the danger of instant death if a line snaps and drops,” he said.
“Human beings and structures cannot withstand the impact of a 330kV line. It is not only illegal but deadly.”
The manager explained that living too close to these power lines can cause health problems from radiation exposure, and could result in immediate death if the cables fall down.
Instead of simply arresting vandals, TCN is focusing on educating communities about the dangers and consequences of damaging power equipment. Iwuamadi said the company prefers to work with local people rather than rely only on punishment.
He praised the Umelu community for helping to protect the 131-kilometre power line that runs from Benin to Onitsha, and encouraged them to continue this cooperation.
The sensitisation programme is part of a nationwide campaign to protect the electricity grid and ensure people have reliable power supply.
Suleiman Mohammed, a deputy commandant with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Edo State, told the community that protecting government infrastructure is everyone’s responsibility.
“Any presence of government facilities in your place should be protected. When you vandalise it, you deprive yourself,” he said.
“The money the government should use to bring new projects will instead be used to repair the damaged ones.”
Mohammed warned that communities with high rates of vandalism might miss out on future government projects, as officials prefer to invest in areas where their equipment will be safe.
