Power generation companies in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian Independent System Operator to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals and companies involved in electricity theft along the Ikorodu-Sagamu transmission corridor.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, made the demand on Thursday while reacting to reports that some large customers were allegedly stealing up to 180 megawatts of electricity from the national grid in Lagos State and Ogun State.
NISO had earlier raised concerns over what it described as widespread electricity theft on the Ikorodu-Sagamu transmission corridor, saying about 180MW of electricity was being lost through energy theft carried out by large customers.
The Managing Director of NISO, Abdu Mohammed Bello, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Lagos with distribution companies, generation companies, eligible customers, and large consumers connected to the Ikorodu-Sagamu 132kV double-circuit transmission lines.
According to Bello, investigations by the system operator uncovered widespread electricity theft and meter manipulation along the transmission corridor, with some large customers connected to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company implicated.
Reacting to the findings, Ogaji expressed concern that some organisations were allegedly stealing electricity while investors in the power sector continued to struggle with liquidity challenges.
She commended NISO for uncovering the theft and urged authorities to ensure those responsible face legal consequences.
“I congratulate NISO for this revelation and encourage them to take the necessary actions. The first step is for NISO to disconnect the thieves, publish their details, and penalise them by ensuring they refund all accrued funds due to the theft plus interest. NISO should also blacklist them,” she said.
Ogaji estimated that the electricity stolen was worth about N9.7bn monthly and N111bn over 12 years.
“How can we be struggling and some people are living large at our expense? Investors are struggling, but those stealing the electricity are still out there. Who knows how many others are hidden?” she asked.
The revelation generated strong reactions among stakeholders in the power sector, with many insisting that the matter should not be ignored.
Stakeholders argued that the industry should focus more on bulk consumers, whom they described as major contributors to losses in the power sector.
“Is it not better to catch the thieves, take them to court, and make them pay than just coming out to say they are stealing without holding anyone responsible?” one stakeholder asked.
Analysts also maintained that organised electricity theft within institutions and large businesses was more damaging than residential meter bypassing.
According to Bello, the losses recorded on the Ikorodu-Sagamu line had become a major threat to grid stability and market revenues.
“We discovered that the Ikorodu-Sagamu 132kV double-circuit line has a lot of very serious theft issues. The magnitude of the thefts is unimaginable. The theft along that line is close to 180MW,” Bello stated.
He noted that the stolen energy was almost equivalent to the daily allocation received by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
Bello added that the Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor would serve as a pilot project for a wider crackdown on electricity theft across the national grid.
“We have taken the Ikorodu-Sagamu line as a pilot project because it’s not only that corridor that is having that kind of challenge. Other corridors, too, will be dealt with as soon as we are able to deal with this,” he said.
To address the situation, Bello disclosed that NISO had issued new directives to generation companies, distribution companies, and eligible customers.
The directives include compliance with minimum off-take requirements, meter classification rules, and mandatory recalibration of metering instruments by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
He also ordered the compulsory installation of check meters and dedicated current and voltage transformers at all interface points.
Bello warned that erring customers would face energy reconstruction, back-billing, financial penalties, and possible disconnection from the national grid.
“If we discover a theft by any customer, we will make sure that we reconstruct and back-bill for a period of time so that the customer will pay for the losses we incurred over that period of time,” he said.
“For persistent offenders, we shall disconnect them from the grid or suspend them from the market, and they shall undergo further regulatory sanctions as determined by the regulators.”
He added that NISO would establish a joint task force involving the system operator, TCN, and security agencies to monitor the corridor and enforce compliance.
