TEGBE ASSURES INDUSTRIES OF SUSTAINED POWER SUPPLY AND STERNLY WARNS AGAINST ENERGY THEFT

 TEGBE ASSURES INDUSTRIES OF SUSTAINED POWER SUPPLY AND STERNLY WARNS AGAINST ENERGY THEFT

 

The Honourable Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured industries operating along the 132kV Ikorodu–Sagamu corridor of sustained electricity supply, while warning that the Federal Government will take firm action against energy theft, meter tampering and other practices undermining the integrity of the power system. He gave the assurance during a high-level engagement with industrial customers on the corridor, following concerns over significant discrepancies between electricity supplied and energy accounted for by market participants.

 

The Ikorodu–Sagamu corridor has evolved into a major industrial cluster serving some of the country’s largest electricity consumers. But increased visibility of power flows through the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s (NISO) technology-based monitoring systems since 2024 has exposed increasingly troubling anomalies in energy consumption and loading patterns. By 2026, the discrepancies had become increasingly difficult to reconcile, with losses on the corridor reaching as high as 100MW resulting in a loss of 120 billion in one year.

Speaking at the engagement, Tegbe said the Government’s priority is to ensure that industries have the electricity required to sustain production and investment, but stressed that reliable supply must be matched by responsible consumption and accurate payment. “We must know where the power is going and what is compromising it,” the Minister said, directing stakeholders to establish the facts through transparent, scientific and fair investigation.

 

He warned that the Government would not tolerate meter tampering, deliberate interference with energy measurement, manipulation of data or any other form of energy theft that deprives the electricity market of legitimate revenue. “Every consumer must be responsible for its actions and consumption,”

 

The Minister’s intervention comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to improve accountability and financial discipline across the electricity value chain while maintaining a stable operating environment for productive industries. He urged all parties to approach the process with openness and a commitment to resolving the outstanding issues, stressing that the sustainability of Nigeria’s power sector depends on accountability from every participant.

In attendance were the MD/CEO and Executive Directors of NISO, Representatives of TCN, Managing Directors of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Compaany and Ikeja Electric as well as representatives of the companies in the corridor.