FG Launches Probe into N120bn Annual Loss from Electricity Theft on Ikorodu–Sagamu Line
By Victor Idajili
The Federal Government has begun a crackdown on widespread electricity theft along the 132kV Ikorodu–Sagamu industrial corridor, where unaccounted power losses have reached 100 megawatts. Officials estimate the losses are costing the electricity market about N120 billion every year.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this during a high-level meeting with industrial operators, market participants and energy regulators in Lagos.
Tegbe ordered a transparent, data-driven investigation into the huge gap between the amount of electricity transmitted through the corridor and what distribution companies are actually billing and collecting.
The Ikorodu–Sagamu axis has grown into one of Nigeria’s biggest manufacturing hubs with several heavy power users. But new monitoring tools deployed by the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, revealed unusual load patterns and major commercial losses across the network.
Reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to industrial growth, the minister assured manufacturers of stable power supply, but stressed that reliable electricity must go hand-in-hand with accountability and accurate billing.
“We will no longer tolerate meter tampering, deliberate manipulation of data, or interference with infrastructure,” Tegbe said. “Every consumer must be held accountable for the actual power they consume.”
