By Uthman Salami
Vandalism has remained an incurable plague, gnawing deeply into the very fabrics that constitute the economic mainstays of Nigeria’s existence. For any nation to thrive economically, certain sectors are required to be perfectly functioning; and the power sector largely remains an integral part of these sectors.
In electricity generation and distribution, gas supplies play a very significant role. Many reasons why Distribution Companies have continuously lamented the monumental disruption vandalism is causing the sector.
Electricity Distribution Companies across the geopolitical zones, had at one point in the past attributed the unprecedented surge in grid collapse to what they largely referred to as vandalism of critical infrastructure such as gas pipelines.
Concerns of stakeholders in the industries especially Nigerians who rely heavily on the government’s national grid for electricity supply have reached a worrisome stage.
Currently, Nigerian Installed Megawatt is inching towards 18,000, and just a couple of months ago Generating Companies had been saddled with the responsibilities of attaining 5,000 Megawatt by July 1st, a mandate stakeholders had called subterfuge.
Yet, gas pipeline vandalism has remained an Achilles’ heel, posing the greatest threat to some of the successes being recorded in the areas of generation.
Few years ago, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power Godknows Igali had attributed vandalism of gas pipelines as the biggest challenge the power sector faced.
According to him, “Once we go above 4,000 megawatts, people bring us down to 2000; there is no country where its own citizens will go and blow up gas pipelines,” he said. “If these vandals can allow this gas to flow, we will get to over 6000 megawatts.”
Also, the management of BEDC bemoaned the rising cases of vandalism and energy theft in Delta, Edo, Ekiti and Ondo states.
Furthermore, vandalism of the electricity distribution network and other forms of electrical theft were serious threats to power sector sustainability and economic growth.
This resurgence in spate of vandalism is causing many hiccups to power distribution across Nigeria.
“The recent surge in cases of vandalism calls for greater attention. More worrisome is the fact that these miscreants are continuously innovating new ideas to perpetrate their criminal activities.
“We see the recent vandalism of 14 spans of electricity conductors in Ilu-Titun, Ondo State, on a line currently being rehabilitated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), as very disturbing,” BEDC had said in a statement.
The destruction caused by this vandalism is having a huge drain on almost all works of life, especially through crude oil losses, economic losses and in the area of environmental degradation, and now the country’s power sector.
Over $3.5bn from foreign reserves, N4bn critical assets have been lost to vandals
According to a report by one of the national daily, 11 months of 2021, vandalism led Nigeria to lose almost 200 million barrels of crude oil, amounting to $3.5 billion and around 10 per cent of the country’s foreign reserves.
The monthly generation capacity is unable to get to consumers as disruption in transmission and distribution of infrastructure remain weak to power to homes and industries.
And just yesterday, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company is reported, by Nigerian NewsDirect, to have lost an estimated sum of N4 billion to vandalism of its assets.
The Managing Director of the Company, Dr. Tinuade Sanda said the spate of vandalism within the network escalated in the last few weeks, especially in Mushin, Yaba, Surulere, Ijora, Apapa, and Lagos Island.
Amongst other complaints, she said challenges such as shortage of gas is contributing to drop in electricity supply and also recurrent system collapse of the national grid, vandalism is creating service disruption within its franchise area.
In her words, “These challenges have adversely affected the supply of power to our customers. However, I would like to reiterate to our esteemed customers that we are actively engaging the other stakeholders in the industry to provide solutions to these problems.”
“Specifically, I would like to mention a company that goes by the name Yunusa S. Power Global Services Limited is not our agent and does not have our mandate to carry out any form of excavation on any electrical or cable installations within our network.
“Eko Disco operations are carried out only by our authorized staff and operatives who can be easily identified with the EKEDC branded coveralls and jackets.
“I am therefore calling on our customers, security agencies and most importantly the media, and the public to be vigilant and assist us in this fight against vandalism within our franchise area and put an end to these incessant acts of criminality.”
Meanwhile, stakeholders who spoke exclusively with Nigerian NewsDirect have all affirmed the need for the government to do more to nip this menace in the bud.
An analyst in the Energy sector, Mr. Ayodele Oni said governments at all levels need to shore up enforcement of law on crimes being committed by vandals, stressing that albeit Nigeria’s challenges are far beyond law making, rather the implementation of the existing law.
“Government does need to do more in terms of enforcement of existing laws around vandalism as there are already legal provisions in this regard. The challenge in Nigeria is not the lack of good laws but enforcement,” Oni said.
Speaking further, he charged those in the helm of affairs on the need to improve the existing laws existing, as well as “Re-orientation of Nigerians will also help, as more people should be told of the dangers and the overall effects of vandalism on power supply, the economy of the country and their own quality of life.
“There should be enforced requirements of technology that helps track and reduce the incidence of vandalism,” he advised.
Besides vandalism, creation of a non-hostile business environment should be prioritised.
Another stakeholder in the oil and gas industry, Engineer Zakka Bala said the issue bedeviling the Nigerian power sector should be seen beyond the vandalism factor, claiming that the country’s power was never doing so well before this recent spate of electricity disruption.
While agreeing that “vandalism is an economic sabotage” and “acts of criminality” he said it helps in creating business climate hostility for investors.
“Whether they are local investors or state and national investors. Vandalism is not good for the image of any country.
“Vandalism on its own is not the principal reason why the economy of Nigeria is not doing well.
“The sabotage that is being caused within the oil and gas both at the downstream, the midstream and the upstream have made it difficult for investors.
“Ordinarily, we should be having enough gas supply. From gas alone we should be able to drive all the gas to generate electricity.”
Bala, however, called on the government and private individuals to further their efforts in creating a non-hostile business environment for development to thrive in both sectors.