Power Sector Accidents Rise by 50% As 20 People Killed, 23 Injured in Q2

Accidents in the Nigerian electricity supply industry rose by 50 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, leaving 20 people dead and 23 injured, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The Commission’s Second Quarter 2026 reported that licensees recorded 36 accidents, up from 24 in the first quarter.

Deaths rose from 17 to 20, and injuries rose from 13 to 23, while total casualties climbed from 30 to 43, an increase of about 43 per cent.

NERC said it has opened investigations into all the accidents and will take action where necessary.

The report showed that distribution companies account for most casualties, accounting for 95.34 per cent of the 43 casualties. Only one safety accident occurred at the generation level.

NERC said the distribution segment remained “the biggest driver of safety accidents in the sector.”

DisCos accounted for 96.67 per cent of casualties in the first quarter and 100 per cent in each quarter from the second to the fourth of 2025.

Every DisCo except Yola recorded casualties. Eko and Ikeja recorded eight each, or 18.60 per cent of the total apiece. Kano recorded six (13.95 per cent) and Ibadan five (11.63 per cent).

Wire snaps killed four people and injured five. Unsafe acts or conditions killed five and injured five. Illegal or unauthorised access to installations killed one and injured two, and vandalism killed one.

The report puts the rest in an “others” category, which accounts for nine deaths and 11 injuries, the largest share of both.

The report also lists property and infrastructure damage on the high-voltage network. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) recorded two cases and the Transmission Service Provider (TSP) six. They resulted from wire snaps, arc flashes, explosions and fire outbreaks

Licensees are required to submit monthly health and safety reports. Of the 102 expected in the quarter, NERC received 99. NISO had not submitted its reports for April, May and June.

The Commission said it will continue to enforce full reporting compliance and apply sanctions where applicable.

NERC said it holds biannual meetings with licensees’ health and safety officers to review reporting duties and compliance scorecards. It also oversees settlements between licensees and the families of accident victims. In the second quarter, it supervised the settlement for the family of one victim.