Nigeria Probes N120bn Power Theft on Ikorodu-Sagamu Corridor

The Nigerian government has ordered a formal investigation into suspected massive electricity theft and unaccounted power losses along a major industrial corridor, following a high-level meeting with stakeholders. Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe announced the directive on August 29, 2026, during a gathering with industrial operators, regulators, and electricity market participants in Lagos. The intervention targets the 132kV Ikorodu-Sagamu transmission corridor, which serves a key manufacturing hub spanning Lagos and Ogun states.

Tegbe stated that technological monitoring has revealed discrepancies of up to 100 megawatts between the electricity transmitted along the corridor and the energy officially billed and accounted for by distribution companies. These losses are estimated to have cost the Nigerian electricity market approximately N120 billion in one year. The minister emphasized that the government would not tolerate activities undermining the power system's integrity. "We must know where the power is going and what is compromising it," Tegbe said, directing stakeholders to conduct a transparent, science-based investigation. He warned that meter tampering, data...