By Stella Odueme
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured industries operating along the 132kV Ikorodu–Sagamu transmission corridor of sustained electricity supply, while warning against energy theft, meter tampering and other practices capable of undermining Nigeria’s power system.
Tegbe gave the assurance during a high-level engagement with industrial customers along the corridor, where concerns were raised over significant discrepancies between electricity supplied and the energy accounted for by market participants.
A statement issued at the weekend said the Ikorodu–Sagamu corridor had developed into a major industrial cluster, hosting some of the country’s largest electricity consumers.
It added that increased visibility of power flows through technology-based monitoring systems deployed by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) since 2024 had revealed anomalies in energy consumption and loading patterns.
According to information presented at the engagement, the discrepancies had become increasingly difficult to reconcile by 2026, with losses along the corridor reaching as high as 100 megawatts and translating into an estimated loss of N120 billion in one year.
The Minister said the Federal Government’s priority was to guarantee industries the electricity required to sustain production, protect investments and support economic growth.
He, however, stressed that reliable electricity supply must be matched by responsible consumption, accurate metering and payment for energy consumed.
“We must know where the power is going and what is compromising it,” Tegbe said, directing stakeholders to establish the facts through a transparent, scientific and fair investigation.
He warned that the government would take firm action against meter tampering, deliberate interference with energy measurement, manipulation of consumption data and other forms of energy theft.
“Every consumer must be responsible for its actions and consumption,” the Minister stated.
Tegbe said the intervention was part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability and financial discipline across the electricity value chain, while creating a stable operating environment for productive industries.
He urged stakeholders to approach the process with openness and a commitment to resolving outstanding issues, stressing that the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity market depended on accountability by all participants.
The engagement was attended by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Executive Directors of NISO, representatives of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Managing Directors of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric, as well as representatives of companies operating along the Ikorodu–Sagamu corridor.
