The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, has inaugurated a high-level ministerial committee to tackle the vandalism of power infrastructure and ensure stable and reliable electricity supply across the country.
The committee comprises key security agencies and stakeholders in the power sector, with a mandate to curb persistent attacks on critical assets across the electricity value chain, including generation, transmission and distribution facilities.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Power, the committee was established in response to rising incidents of vandalism that disrupt electricity supply, increase repair costs and undermine investments in the sector.
The committee held its inaugural meeting in Abuja, with 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 of the Ministry of Power and directors from relevant agencies in attendance.
At the meeting, participants proposed far-reaching measures to prevent attacks on power infrastructure and outlined the responsibilities of the various institutions in protecting critical national assets.
They agreed to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws against vandalism, deploy technology to improve infrastructure protection and intensify public sensitisation and advocacy to discourage attacks on electricity facilities.
The stakeholders also pledged to work collaboratively to eliminate the menace, stressing the need for coordinated action among security agencies and relevant institutions.
The ministry noted that the committee’s activities would be aligned with the critical infrastructure unit of the Office of the National Security Adviser, reinforcing the classification of power infrastructure as a matter of national security.
The committee is expected to reconvene next week to assess progress and review the implementation of the measures agreed upon at its inaugural meeting.
The initiative is expected to reduce power outages caused by vandalism, improve the reliability of electricity supply and strengthen the protection of public and private investments in Nigeria’s power sector.
