The Federal Government has launched an investigation into alleged massive electricity theft and unaccounted power losses along the 132kV Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor, with losses estimated at 100 megawatts and an annual revenue loss of N120bn.
According to PUNCH newspaper, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Friday during a high-level stakeholder meeting with industrial operators, electricity market participants and regulators in Lagos.
In a statement by the ministry on Saturday, Tegbe directed stakeholders to commence a transparent and science-based investigation into discrepancies between the volume of electricity transmitted along the corridor and the energy officially billed and accounted for by distribution companies.
The Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor has emerged as one of Nigeria’s major industrial manufacturing hubs, hosting several heavy electricity consumers.
However, technological monitoring tools deployed by the Nigerian Independent System Operator revealed loading anomalies and significant commercial losses across the network.
The minister said the Federal Government remained committed to supporting industrial growth under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring manufacturers of sustained electricity supply.
He, however, stressed that improved power supply must be matched by accountability and accurate billing.
Tegbe declared that the government would no longer tolerate meter tampering, deliberate manipulation of electricity data or interference with power infrastructure.
He maintained that every electricity consumer must be accountable for the actual electricity consumed.
“The government will no longer tolerate meter tampering, deliberate data manipulation, or infrastructure interference. Every consumer must remain accountable for actual power consumed,” Tegbe was quoted as saying.
The minister’s directive followed concerns over the substantial gap between electricity transmitted to the industrial corridor and the volume ultimately billed and accounted for by the distribution companies.
The stakeholder meeting brought together senior officials across the electricity value chain, including the Managing Director and Executive Directors of NISO, representatives of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and the chief executives of Ikeja Electric and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.
Industrial representatives operating along the corridor also attended the meeting.
The stakeholders were charged with cooperating fully with technical investigators as the government moves to identify the source of the losses, eliminate revenue leakages and safeguard the financial stability of the electricity market.
The Federal Government’s intervention comes as the Ikorodu-Sagamu axis continues to expand as a major industrial hub, increasing the importance of reliable electricity supply and effective monitoring of energy consumption along the corridor.
In May, the Nigerian Independent System Operator raised the alarm over massive electricity theft along the Ikorodu-Sagamu 132kV double-circuit transmission corridor spanning Lagos and Ogun states, saying about 180MW was being lost to theft by large customers.
NISO said investigations had uncovered widespread electricity theft and meter manipulation involving some large customers connected to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company. The system operator described the scale of the losses as alarming, warning that they posed a threat to grid stability and electricity market revenues.
The NISO Managing Director, Abdu Mohammed Bello, said the discovery prompted consultations with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, which backed further measures to address the problem.
NISO subsequently adopted the Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor as a pilot for a broader crackdown on electricity theft across the national grid. Measures announced included the recalibration of metering instruments, installation of check meters and dedicated current and voltage transformers at interface points, as well as stricter compliance with metering requirements.
Bello also warned that customers found guilty of stealing electricity would face energy reconstruction, back-billing, financial penalties and possible disconnection or suspension from the electricity market. NISO said it would also establish a joint task force with the Transmission Company of Nigeria and security agencies to monitor the corridor and enforce compliance.
-PUNCH Newspaper
