The Federal Government is stepping up efforts to curb vandalism of electricity infrastructure through stronger law enforcement, technology and public awareness, following attacks that disrupt power supply and increase repair costs.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe announced the initiative at the inaugural meeting of a ministerial committee established to coordinate efforts to protect assets across the generation, transmission and distribution segments of the electricity sector.
The committee brings together security agencies, government officials and power sector stakeholders to develop measures for preventing attacks and clarifying the responsibilities of participating institutions.
Those at the meeting included the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa, officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Ministry of Power’s Permanent Secretary and directors from relevant agencies.
The committee’s work will be aligned with the critical infrastructure unit of the Office of the National Security Adviser, reflecting the government’s treatment of electricity assets as a national security priority.
Participants proposed enforcing existing laws against vandalism, deploying technology to protect critical infrastructure and intensifying public sensitisation to prevent attacks.
They also pledged closer cooperation among the relevant institutions to address the problem.
The committee is expected to reconvene next week to review progress on the proposed measures. The initiative aims to reduce infrastructure-related disruptions, improve electricity reliability and protect public and private investment in the power sector.