As part of ongoing efforts to guarantee a stable and reliable electricity supply for households, businesses and industries, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has convened a ministerial committee on the prevention of vandalism of power infrastructure. The committee brings together security and power sector stakeholders and is tasked with ending attacks on assets across the electricity value chain.
The committee was constituted in response to attacks on generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, which disrupt electricity supply to consumers, increase repair costs and undermine the investment on which the sector depends. Its mandate also includes defining the contributions each institution will make towards achieving a lasting solution.
The inaugural meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa; directors from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA); the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); the Permanent Secretary; and directors from the Ministry of Power and relevant agencies under the ministry.
The committee’s work will be aligned with the critical infrastructure unit of ONSA, reinforcing the treatment of power assets as a national security priority.
Participants proposed measures to curb vandalism and outlined the roles each office and agency would play. They also resolved to enforce existing laws on vandalism and bring offenders to justice, deploy technology to protect national assets, and use sensitisation and advocacy to prevent incidents before they occur. All parties pledged to work together to end the menace.
The committee will reconvene next week to review progress. Effective implementation is expected to result in fewer outages caused by attacks on infrastructure, a more dependable electricity supply and stronger protection for public and private investment in the power sector.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV