Senate plans stricter penalties for power theft

Moves to address electricity challenges

The Senate has announced plans to draft legislation aimed at imposing stricter penalties for power theft. The Senate Committee on Privatisation highlighted power theft, ageing infrastructure, and persistent grid collapses as major challenges undermining the operations of Ikeja Electric, one of Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

Acting Chairman of the Senate committee, Emmanuel Udende, who spoke, yesterday, during an oversight visit to Ikeja Electric, emphasised the need to deter illegal power connections through harsher sentences.

He said that such measures would improve electricity distribution and ensure financial sustainability in the sector. Udende also acknowledged the pressing issue of outdated equipment, noting that recurring grid collapses remain a major bottleneck to achieving stable electricity distribution across the country.

He, however, said that the purpose of their visit to Ikeja Electric, and other companies they have assessed, was to evaluate the performance of privatised assets, saying that while some are meeting expectations, others are underperforming, and many facing various challenges. He added that they aimed to assess performance, identify challenges, and explore ways to help overcome those challenges.

The committee chairman stressed that the committee would later convene to aggregate the identified challenges and develop strategies to address them In her own remarks, the CEO of Ikeja Electric, FolakeSoetan, outlined some of the company’s achievements and areas where supports are required.