The Federal Government has launched an investigation into alleged massive electricity theft and unaccounted power losses along the 132kV Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor, where discrepancies of up to 100 megawatts have resulted in an estimated annual revenue loss of N120 billion to the electricity market.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe disclosed this on Friday during a high-level stakeholder meeting with industrial operators, electricity market participants and regulators in Lagos.
In a statement issued by the ministry on Saturday, Tegbe directed stakeholders to conduct a transparent, science-based investigation into the gap between the volume of electricity transmitted along the corridor and the energy officially billed and accounted for by distribution companies.
The Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor has grown into one of Nigeria’s major industrial manufacturing hubs, serving several large electricity consumers.
However, technological monitoring tools deployed by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) have revealed loading anomalies and significant commercial losses across the network.
Tegbe reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting industrial growth under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and assured manufacturers of sustained electricity supply.
He stressed, however, that improved power delivery must be matched by accountability and accurate billing.
“The government will no longer tolerate meter tampering, deliberate data manipulation, or infrastructure interference. Every consumer must remain accountable for actual power consumed,” the minister said.
The meeting brought together senior officials from across the electricity value chain, including the Managing Director and Executive Directors of NISO, representatives of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and the chief executives of Ikeja Electric and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, as well as industrial representatives operating along the corridor.
Stakeholders were charged to cooperate fully with technical investigators as the government seeks to identify the source of the losses, eliminate revenue leakages and protect the financial stability of the electricity market.
The intervention comes as the corridor continues to expand as a key industrial hub, heightening the need for reliable supply and effective monitoring of energy consumption.
In May, NISO had raised the alarm over massive electricity theft on the same 132kV double-circuit transmission corridor spanning Lagos and Ogun states, estimating that about 180MW was being lost to theft by large customers.
Investigations at the time uncovered widespread electricity theft and meter manipulation involving some large customers connected to Ikeja Electric and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.
NISO Managing Director Abdu Mohammed Bello described the scale of the losses as alarming and a threat to grid stability and market revenues.
The discovery led to consultations with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, which supported further action.
NISO adopted the corridor as a pilot for a broader crackdown on electricity theft nationwide, announcing measures such as recalibration of metering instruments, installation of check meters and dedicated current and voltage transformers at interface points, and stricter metering compliance.
Bello warned that customers found guilty of electricity theft would face energy reconstruction, back-billing, financial penalties and possible disconnection or suspension from the market.
NISO also planned a joint task force with TCN and security agencies to monitor the corridor and enforce compliance.
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