Vandalism major cause of national grid collapses, says TCN official

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says vandalism is a major cause of frequent national grid collapses.

Charles Iwuamadi, the general manager of TCN, Benin region, spoke on Wednesday during a sensitisation programme in Umelu community, Edo state.

He said incidents of vandalism increased by 30 percent in the last five years.

“Vandalism is directly proportional to the number of system collapses. A greater number of times when we have grid collapse, it is as a result of vandalism,” the TCN official said.

“In the last five years, vandalism has increased by over 30 percent. If not for how we have been managing the system, the number of collapses will have doubled.”

Iwuamadi warned that vandals are putting national assets, including transmission towers and lines that form part of the interconnected grid, at risk.

He said one vandalised line can destabilise the entire network, leading to nationwide outages.

The general manager also expressed concern over the illegal erection of structures under high-tension transmission lines.

Iwuamadi warned residents that encroaching on the company’s right-of-way poses grave safety and health risks, endangering their lives and those of their families.

“Residing under transmission towers exposes people to high radiation, health hazards, and the danger of instant death if a line snaps and drops,” he said.

“Human beings and structures cannot withstand the impact of a 330kV line. It is not only illegal but deadly.”

Iwuamadi said the company prioritises community sensitisation over arrests and punitive measures, opting for a collaborative approach to tackle vandalism.

The TCN boss commended the Umelu community for their peaceful cooperation along the 131-kilometre Benin-Onitsha transmission line and urged them to sustain it.

He said the sensitisation programme is part of the company’s nationwide campaign against vandalism to protect the national grid, and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.

Suleiman Mohammed, deputy commandant, head of critical national assets unit at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo command, stressed that communities have a duty to safeguard government infrastructure.

“Any presence of government facilities in your place should be protected. When you vandalise it, you deprive yourself,” he said.

“The money the government should use to bring new projects will instead be used to repair the damaged ones.”

Mohammed emphasised that communities with poor records of vandalism may lose future government investments, as authorities prefer safe areas for critical projects.