The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed on Thursday that 178 transmission towers have been destroyed by vandals in the first half of 2025, exacerbating power outages across several states.
Ali Sharifai, the General Manager of Transmission Services, shared this information during a media briefing in Keffi, describing the situation as one of the most challenging periods in TCN’s history.
He stated that the agency recorded 42 separate cases of vandalism in the first two quarters of the year, targeting towers that are critical for electricity distribution.
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Adding to the problem, natural disasters have also taken their toll. A severe windstorm in May knocked down six towers along the Kainji-Birnin Kebbi line, and another incident that same month partially collapsed a tower on the Apir-Lafia-Jos axis.
Sharifai explained that these acts not only strain power supply but also come with significant repair costs and hinder efforts to expand the national grid.
He further revealed that TCN is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser to protect vulnerable lines.
“The attacks are motivated by a mix of factors—economic hardship, political sabotage, and sometimes pure criminality,” he noted. “States like Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia, and Kano have been particularly affected.”
He added that 2024 had already set a troubling precedent with 86 towers targeted, 26 of which were completely destroyed. “This year’s figures are even more alarming.”
TCN has reached out to the Office of the National Security Adviser for the protection of vulnerable transmission lines against vandalism. Some critical lines have been selected as pilot schemes, where state-of-the-art technology will be deployed to monitor and deter future vandalism.
To raise awareness, TCN is running sensitization programs and advertisements across social media, print, radio, and television, informing Nigerians that TCN property is their property.
Sharifai emphasized that the public is now more aware of the importance of protecting TCN assets.
