TCN seeks stronger legal protection for electricity infrastructure

By Mariam Eko

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to strengthen legal protection for critical electricity infrastructure, saying vandalism, sabotage and encroachment on transmission corridors continue to threaten power supply and investments in the sector.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, made the call at a four-day Parliamentary/Stakeholders’ Engagement Summit on Power Sector Reforms in Nigeria.

According to him, attacks on transmission facilities have continued to disrupt electricity supply, increase repair costs and undermine efforts to improve service delivery nationwide.

“Vandalism and sabotage of transmission infrastructure continue to disrupt power supply, increase repair costs and undermine investments in the sector,” he added.

Abdulaziz also identified encroachment on transmission Right-of-Way (RoW) as a major challenge affecting grid operations and expansion.

“Persistent encroachment on transmission Rights-of-Way creates safety risks, hinders maintenance activities and constrains future network expansion. This calls for coordinated action among federal, state and local authorities, supported by a stronger legal framework,” he stated.

The TCN boss therefore urged lawmakers to provide stronger legal protection for electricity infrastructure and establish a nationally consistent Right-of-Way protection framework.

Abdulaziz also challenged the notion that transmission remains the biggest bottleneck in Nigeria’s electricity value chain.

Citing data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Abdulaziz noted that Nigeria’s installed generation capacity stands at 13,625 megawatts (MW), while the highest power ever generated and delivered to the national grid was 5,801.84MW.

He explained that TCN’s transmission wheeling capacity currently stands at 8,700MW, well above the highest power generated on the grid.

He stated: “The implication is clear: the national grid can currently transmit significantly more power than has ever been generated and supplied to it. TCN has consistently wheeled all available generation, demonstrating that the transmission network is ready to support higher levels of electricity delivery”.

Highlighting the company’s achievements, Abdulaziz disclosed that TCN expanded the nation’s wheeling capacity from about 7,000MW to 8,700MW through strategic investments supported by the Federal Government and development partners.

He added that between January 2024 and November 2025, the company commissioned 82 transformers, adding approximately 8,500MVA of transmission capacity nationwide.

The TCN chief also revealed that the company has mobilised over $1.4 billion in development financing from international partners to support transmission expansion and modernisation projects.

Despite the progress, he acknowledged that challenges remain across the electricity value chain, including financing constraints, foreign exchange pressures, gas supply issues and weaknesses in the distribution segment.

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