The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has called on the Federal Government to extend its whistle-blowing policy to the power sector to curb energy theft.
The minister said this in Enugu at the 16th Power sector monthly meeting, sponsored by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company. According to him, available statistics revealed huge energy theft by Nigerians, adding that the problem had become a big challenge for not just the power distribution companies, but consumers as well. He added that if nothing is done, those who pay for energy consumption will continue to bear the overall cost.
The minister claimed statistics revealed that only six million households consumed energy in the country, adding “if this is correct, it means that some people steal energy in the country, while only a few pay. The statistics cannot be correct and it is therefore necessary to extend whistleblowing to the power sector in order to expose those stealing our energy,”.
Fashola called on Nigerians to be vigilant and report people who stole energy in their neighborhood to law enforcement agencies. The minister said that efforts were ongoing to improve the supply of power across the country adding that more megawatts of electricity would be added to the national grid before the end of the year.