Tegbe Assures Industries of Stable Power, Warns Against Energy Theft as Corridor Losses Hit 100MW

By Adebola Muili

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured industries operating along the 132kV Ikorodu–Sagamu corridor of sustained electricity supply, warning that the Federal Government will take firm action against energy theft, meter tampering and other practices undermining the integrity of the power system.

Tegbe gave the assurance on August 29, 2026, during a high-level engagement with industrial customers along the corridor, following concerns over significant discrepancies between electricity supplied and energy accounted for by participants in the electricity market.

The Ikorodu–Sagamu corridor has emerged as a major industrial cluster serving some of the country’s largest electricity consumers. However, technology-based monitoring systems deployed by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) since 2024 have exposed what the government described as troubling anomalies in energy consumption and loading patterns.

By 2026, the discrepancies had become increasingly difficult to reconcile, with losses along the corridor reaching as high as 100 megawatts (MW), resulting in an estimated N120 billion loss in one year.

Speaking at the engagement, the minister said the government’s priority was to ensure that industries received the electricity required to sustain production and investment, but stressed that reliable power supply must be matched by responsible consumption and accurate payment.

“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 not tolerate meter tampering, deliberate interference with energy measurement, manipulation of data or any other form of energy theft capable of depriving the electricity market of legitimate revenue.

“Every consumer must be responsible for its actions and consumption,” the minister stressed.

Tegbe said the intervention was part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen accountability and financial discipline across the electricity value chain while maintaining a stable operating environment for productive industries.

He urged all stakeholders to approach the process with openness and commitment to resolving the outstanding issues, stressing that the sustainability of Nigeria’s power sector depended on accountability from every participant in the electricity market.

In attendance were 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 corridor.