… Links sabotage to economic, political motives
… Advances grid stability with 69% completion of SCADA system
The Director-General of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, has expressed deep frustration over the constant vandalism of the company’s power infrastructure, describing it as a major challenge undermining its operations.
He revealed that the reasons for these acts of sabotage are both economic and political, posing a significant threat to the nation’s electricity supply.
Engr. Abdulaziz who disclosed this on Thursday during a special briefing titled Meet the Press, organized by the State House Media Unit in Abuja, however announced that the company’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, designed to enhance real-time monitoring and control of power infrastructure, is now 69% complete.
Speaking on the high number of sabotage to TCN’s infrastructure by unscrupulous element in society, Sule said “this is one of the greatest problems TCN is having, this vandalism. By the time they destroy our towers, it is very expensive for us to repair them, and the worst thing is that you did not envisage this will happen, so you don’t have it in the budget.”
He explained that funds meant for expanding Nigeria’s power grid are often diverted to repair damaged infrastructure, forcing the company to deprioritize much-needed upgrades.
“The money you are supposed to use to expand the grid, you will use it to go and repair those towers because people will be talking. Just after two or three days, people will forget about the vandals, but they will be talking about TCN”, he said.
The TCN boss cited a recent incident in Abuja’s Millennium Park, where vandals destroyed an underground cable linking Katampe to the Central Area.
“That is a very sophisticated cable. Only we know how much it costs us, apart from the revenue we lost for not supplying light to Abuja. Even the materials we used to repair that cable, we have to import them from China, we don’t have it here”, he explained.
Abdulaziz categorized the acts of vandalism into two types: economic and political, saying some perpetrators steal components like wires and sell them cheaply at scrap markets, unaware of their true value.
Others, he however said, intentionally target infrastructure to undermine government efforts.
“There are some that are sabotaging the government because they don’t want the government to achieve something. Just like the one I said now, it is during this government that we generated 5,801MW.
“Somebody who is working against the government will not want to hear this, so they will go and bring down a tower so that they will say the government is not performing”, he stated.
Despite efforts to curb the menace, Abdulaziz admitted that securing TCN’s vast network of transmission towers across the country is a daunting task.
“We have done our best, we have engaged so many people, we have engaged the security forces, but it’s not possible. If you look at the terrain of Nigeria, it’s not possible to go and put a policeman on every tower”, he said.
In response, TCN has partnered with security agencies, including the National Security Adviser’s office, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the police, to strengthen surveillance.
The company is also engaging local communities to take ownership of power infrastructure by reporting suspicious activities.
“We are sensitizing them and telling them, this is your own property. We are giving some peanuts, even some of them, we buy them phones… If you see anything abnormal here, this is the number you’ll call”, Abdulaziz noted.
He said TCN is exploring technological solutions, such as drones, to enhance monitoring.
According to Abdulaziz, authorities have begun to recognize that ensuring security goes beyond the company’s core mandate.
“They have seen that when these things happen, the money we spend is too much, and we don’t have enough manpower to man all these installations”, he said.
Meanwhile, Abdulaziz, has disclosed that the TCN’s SCADA system, designed to enhance real-time monitoring and control of power infrastructure, is now 69% complete.
He emphasized that once fully operational, the SCADA system will strengthen Nigeria’s electricity grid, improve outage management, and help combat vandalism of power lines.
“From our work program, in six months, we are going to finish SCADA. I mentioned that it is 69% completed, and this project is funded by the World Bank. The World Bank was funding NETAP. In that NETAP, we have $486 million. It is out of it that we are doing the SCADA”, Abdulaziz stated.
He added that the project is progressing well, with significant installations already in place at TCN’s new substation in Gwagwalada, saying “by the time we have that SCADA completed, we will be able to see in real time whatever is happening on the grid.”
Speaking on power generation and distribution, Abdulaziz reaffirmed TCN’s ability to transmit up to 8,500 megawatts (MW), a capacity that remains underutilized due to lower generation levels.
He revealed that Nigeria’s highest recorded power generation stands at 5,801MW, well below TCN’s transmission capability.
“For the first time in our nation’s history, the power sector recorded a new and unprecedented peak generation of 5,801.84 megawatts of electricity on March 4, 2025, at 21:15 hours. The Transmission Company of Nigeria efficiently evacuated this bulk power to distribution load centers nationwide”, he stated.
Abdulaziz expressed optimism that, with continued investment, power generation companies (GenCos) could increase output to 10,000MW within the next two years, allowing TCN to fully utilize its expanding transmission capacity.
“With the numerous TCN transmission projects completed in the last two years and new ones currently underway, as well as the 8,500MW current evacuation capability of the company, I can confidently state that in less than two years from now, the Transmission Company of Nigeria will conveniently evacuate 10,000 megawatts of generated power,” he said.
He credited ongoing government investments for the progress, noting that all transmission infrastructure upgrades have been fully funded by the federal government.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria is 100% owned by the Federal Government. Up till now, there is nobody who has come and put his money. All these investments are coming from the federal government”, he said.
In a bid to further strengthen the transmission network, Abdulaziz revealed that TCN is exploring significant investments, including the development of a “Super Grid” system.
He explained that this initiative aims to enhance grid flexibility, ensuring uninterrupted power supply even in cases of faults.
“For example, now we have on our table what we call the Super Grid. Some Chinese companies have put their interest in constructing more transmission lines so that we have flexibility. Meaning that once one of the lines is faulty, you can switch your power to the other one, and nobody will even notice there is a problem”, he said.
He acknowledged that while the process requires approvals from the presidency and the Ministry of Finance, efforts are underway to fast-track implementation.
“The government is working hard to make sure that we have a very efficient and robust grid,” he assured.
Abdulaziz also highlighted a significant 76.47% reduction in grid disturbances over the past five years, attributing this progress to continuous investments and operational improvements.
“The FGN projects already executed added 1,350MW to the grid. Our progress is also evident in the 76.47% reduction in grid disturbances over the past five years”, he noted.
To enhance grid stability in the absence of a fully operational SCADA system, he disclosed that TCN developed the Generation Load Drop Sensitivity (GLDS) system, which detects and responds to sudden drops in power generation, preventing widespread outages.
“Additionally, all our substations have now been fully digitized and automated,” he added.
