The Eko Electricity Distribution Company has launched a network-wide awareness campaign against energy theft in an effort to put a stop to the problem in all of its manifestations.
According to the company’s spokeswoman, Babatunde Lasaki, the project was a part of the company’s ongoing efforts to lower technical and commercial losses and enhance the dependability of the power supply to its customers.
He listed energy theft, which includes illicit connections, tampering with electrical equipment, and metre bypass and manipulation, as a major issue confronting Nigeria’s power sector in a statement on Thursday.
Lasaki claims that these illegal operations cause the company to lose a significant amount of money every year, which eventually affects its capacity to make investments in network upgrades and offer paying clients high-quality service.
“Energy theft also results in severe safety hazards by illegal channels to utilise electricity,” he added.
Mrs. Rekhiat Momoh, the EKEDC’s acting chief executive officer, urged clients to assist the company in its efforts to end energy theft and other related criminal activity that is impeding the company’s expansion.
She said, “Energy theft is a menace that we need to eliminate in our network and the power sector. We lose billions annually to it and it affects our ability to invest in network expansion and infrastructure upgrades required to bring the desired stable power supply.”
Momoh also fought against vandalism of the company’s installations, urging clients, locals, and other interested parties to help protect the tools intended for public use.
