Perennial Power Sector Infrastructure Vandalism Forces Government To Convene Urgent Security Meeting

Following perennial vandalism of power sector infrastructure and deepening efforts to guarantee stable and reliable electricity supply for households, businesses and industry, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has convened a ministerial committee on the prevention of vandalism of power infrastructure.

The committee brings together security and power sector stakeholders and is tasked with ending attacks on assets across the electricity value chain.

The committee was constituted in response to attacks on generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, which disrupt supply to consumers, increase repair costs and erode the investment on which the sector depends. Its mandate also includes defining the contribution each institution will make toward a lasting solution.

The inaugural meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, directors from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Permanent Secretary, and directors from the Ministry and relevant agencies under the Ministry of Power. The committee’s work will be aligned with the critical infrastructure unit of ONSA, reinforcing the treatment of power assets as a national security priority

Participants proposed measures to curb vandalism and outlined the role each office and agency will play. They resolved to enforce existing laws on vandalism and bring offenders to justice, to deploy technology in protecting national assets, and to use sensitisation and advocacy to prevent incidents before they occur. All parties pledged to work together to bring the menace to an end.

The committee will reconvene next week to review progress. Effective implementation should translate into fewer outages caused by attacks on infrastructure and a more dependable supply, and should strengthen the protection of public and private investment in power.