N8bn budget allocation for anti-vandalism advocacy – Adelabu
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has reassured Nigerians of his commitment to delivering a stable electricity supply, stating that efforts are ongoing to improve the country’s power infrastructure.
Adelabu also addressed misconceptions surrounding the N8bn allocation in the Ministry of Power’s 2025 budget, clarifying that the funds are earmarked for advocacy against vandalism, education, enlightenment, and deploying technology to safeguard power infrastructure—not for sensitising citizens to pay electricity bills.
The minister, who came under fire on social media following claims that the ministry was spending N8bn on electricity bill awareness, dismissed the reports as unfounded.
He explained that the ministry’s focus is on combating the growing menace of vandalism, which has severely disrupted power supply in many parts of the country.
A statement by the Mlminister’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, quoted Adelabu as saying, “Far from what is being circulated, the Federal Government is deeply concerned about the acts of sabotage that have eroded the gains in electricity supply.
“The N8bn budget allocation is targeted at sensitising Nigerians to protect and take ownership of national power assets.”
Adelabu highlighted the alarming rate of vandalism, including recent incidents where underground cables in Abuja were destroyed, plunging parts of the city into darkness.
He revealed that the advocacy campaign would involve a comprehensive outreach across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory.
“Our advocacy will include town hall meetings, engagement with community leaders and stakeholders, and the use of various media platforms—radio, television, newspapers, social media, and billboards.
“The goal is to educate Nigerians on the implications of vandalism and encourage them to see power infrastructure as community assets,” he stated.
The minister added that the campaign would incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in communities hosting power installations, while also engaging local hunters and security personnel to protect infrastructure.
Adelabu noted that the cost of repairing vandalised power infrastructure runs into billions, citing the example of N9bn spent by the Transmission Company of Nigeria to restore transmission towers and lines destroyed by terrorists on the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line last year.
On grid stability, the minister assured Nigerians that the government is addressing the challenges through projects like the Siemens initiative, which has achieved 95% completion in its first phase, with eight power transformers and five mobile substations already installed in various states.
Adelabu also mentioned plans for the second phase of the Siemens project, which will see the construction of 14 brownfield substations and 20 greenfield substations.
Additionally, ongoing SCADA upgrades aim to improve grid management and reduce the frequency of grid collapses.
He stated, “When this administration took over, power generation was stagnant at around 4,000 megawatts. Since then, we have added over 1,000 megawatts, reaching a three-year high of 5,528MW.”
The minister reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring electricity becomes a fundamental right for all Nigerians, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise.
“Nigeria cannot afford to lag in the global energy transition. We are determined to address these issues and provide efficient, effective, and uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians,” he said
