The restoration of the vandalised Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line has increased electricity supply to Lagos and neighbouring states, recovering a significant portion of the nearly 800 megawatts lost during recent disruptions.

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, explained that the recent electricity shortage affecting Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and parts of Kwara State was caused by the simultaneous disruption of critical power infrastructure and not a national grid collapse.

According to him, the Benin-Egbin transmission line, which ordinarily conveys between 300 and 400 megawatts into the Lagos electricity complex, was vandalised while Egbin Power Station was undergoing planned maintenance.

The combination of both incidents resulted in the loss of almost 800 megawatts, forcing load shedding across the affected areas.

Tegbe said the Federal Government immediately activated measures to restore the affected infrastructure, fulfilling its earlier commitment to address the disruption within 48 to 72 hours.

“As of yesterday, the Benin-Egbin line was restored. As of last night and this morning, the Lagos complex is receiving about 1,000 megawatts,” he said.

He added that Egbin Power Station’s ST1 turbine had returned to operation, while ST3 was expected to resume generation that evening, adding another 150 megawatts to electricity supply to the Lagos complex.

The minister also disclosed that the government was targeting the restoration of the Oshogbo-Ikeja West transmission line by the end of November 2026 to further strengthen electricity supply to Lagos and the Ogun corridor.

The line, which has been out of service for approximately 18 months following the vandalism of six transmission towers, has the capacity to convey an additional 400 megawatts into Lagos.

He explained that restoration work had been prioritised despite difficult terrain, particularly swampy areas that have complicated access and repair operations.

Tegbe noted that four major transmission lines serve the Lagos electricity complex, but only three were operational at the time of the interview.

He said restoring the fourth line would provide additional transmission capacity and reduce the vulnerability of electricity supply to the region.

The minister identified infrastructure vandalism as a major challenge to electricity reliability, warning that the destruction of transmission towers and other critical assets undermines efforts to improve power supply.

To address the problem, he disclosed that a joint task force involving the Ministry of Power, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Office of the National Security Adviser, Homeland Security and other security agencies had been established to protect electricity infrastructure.

The task force is mapping vulnerable locations and exploring the deployment of drones and other surveillance technologies to monitor transmission corridors and strengthen security responses.

He added that the government was working with the National Assembly to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting infrastructure vandals and ensuring appropriate consequences for the destruction of critical national assets.

Tegbe urged Nigerians to support efforts to protect electricity infrastructure, noting that the destruction of a single transmission tower could disrupt power supply to thousands of households and businesses.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving electricity supply through infrastructure restoration, stronger coordination among sector agencies and sustained investment across the electricity value chain.