In response to a surge in attacks on Nigeria’s power infrastructure, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has called on host communities across the country to take ownership of national assets and join the fight against vandalism.
Speaking over the weekend at a sensitisation forum for youths in Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State, TCN’s General Manager for the Port Harcourt Region, Mr. Akpa Anyaegbunam, decried the rising incidence of sabotage targeting transmission towers. He emphasized that such acts are not only financially burdensome but also significantly disrupt power supply and economic activity.
According to Anyaegbunam, Nigeria’s power grid has come under increasing threat from vandals, with a spike in incidents since the beginning of the year. Between January 9 and 14, 2025, more than 18 transmission towers were reportedly vandalised in Rivers, Abia, and Kano states alone, with key components stolen. In 2024, the federal government spent a considerable sum repairing no fewer than 128 damaged towers.
“These senseless acts of vandalism don’t just damage infrastructure; they plunge entire communities into darkness and setback socio-economic growth,” he said. “We decided to engage the youths directly because no outsider can damage a tower in a community without the knowledge or support of someone local. It’s time communities became part of the solution.”
Highlighting the scale of disruption, Anyaegbunam cited a major incident in July 2024 when 20 towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission line were brought down by vandals, plunging Bayelsa State into a four-month blackout.
The one-day forum brought together hundreds of youths from 19 communities in the region and forms part of a broader sensitisation campaign by TCN. The initiative seeks to raise public awareness and encourage community-driven solutions to protect power installations.
“We’re not accusing anyone here of wrongdoing, but we believe that youth involvement is key to ending this sabotage,” Anyaegbunam added. “Power infrastructure is a shared resource. If it’s destroyed, the community suffers first. We need to protect what belongs to us all.”
Speaking during the event, Mr. Isaiah Sunday, a local youth leader, pledged the support of the area’s young people and proposed the establishment of surveillance teams to monitor and protect transmission assets.
“The federal government has invested in these facilities to improve our quality of life,” Sunday said. “We must do our part to safeguard them. With active surveillance and the participation of local leaders and youth, we can stop this destruction.”
TCN’s appeal underscores the growing urgency of securing Nigeria’s power infrastructure in the face of persistent sabotage, which threatens to undermine progress in power sector reforms and rural electrification. As the nation continues to grapple with electricity challenges, community cooperation is increasingly seen as a crucial pillar in ensuring stable and reliable energy delivery.
