According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission‘s quarterly reports, between January and September 2024, unlicensed connections, wire snaps, vandalism, and other factors contributed to 174 electricity-related incidents nationwide.
Concerns regarding safety standards in the nation’s power industry are raised by the fact that this constitutes a notable 38% rise over the 126 occurrences recorded during the same period in 2023.
The 2024 data showed that last year’s occurrences showed a concerning rising trend, with the second quarter seeing the highest number of accidents.
The number of accidents reported by NERC increased significantly from 55 in the first quarter to 63 in the second, then decreased a little to 56 in the third.
The total number highlights the urgent need for stronger safety protocols and industry-wide regulatory compliance, even with the third quarter’s minor improvement.
Injury and fatalities have increased in tandem with the boom in accidents.
According to NERC, 76 people were injured in the first three quarters of 2024, which is a minor increase from the 72 who were injured in the same time frame in 2023.
On the other hand, fatalities had a more alarming pattern, increasing by 8.9% from 2023 to 2024 (from 79 to 86).
With 34 deaths, the second quarter of 2024 saw the most fatalities, followed by the first quarter with 23 and the third quarter with 29.
Significant variations in the number of injuries were noted in the quarterly reports. Injuries increased to 28 in the third quarter; however, they decreased from 31 in the first quarter to 17 in the second.
This volatility points to ongoing difficulties in putting uniform safety protocols in place throughout the industry.
A variety of variables, including unauthorised and unlawful connections, dangerous electrical activities and conditions, wire snaps, vandalism, explosions, and electrocutions, were blamed by NERC for the accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Wire snaps and illegal connections were shown to be major factors in the increase in events in 2024.
The figures demonstrate the increasing safety hazards that employees and outside parties in the industry must deal with.
According to the Q3 report, the Commission keeps an eye on the NESI’s performance in terms of health and safety under Section 34(1)(e) of the EA 2023, which requires the Commission to “ensure the provision of safe and reliable electricity to consumers.”
In compliance with the conditions of their license, licensees are required to provide the Commission with monthly health and safety reports. Only 96 out of the 99 required health and safety reports that licensees were supposed to submit in 2024/Q3 were received.
As stated in the terms and conditions of each license, the commission will continue to enforce licensees’ complete reporting compliance and, if necessary, impose penalties.
In its assessments, NERC urged power distribution companies to enhance compliance immediately, voicing concerns about the disregard for conventional safety procedures.
The commission also emphasised the need for public awareness initiatives aimed at enlightening Nigerians about the risks associated with dangerous practices and unlicensed electrical connections.
To prevent accidents brought on by equipment failure and wire snaps, it also emphasised the importance of timely maintenance and repair of electrical infrastructure.
In addition to calling on DisCos to step up their efforts to address the underlying causes of these occurrences, the regulatory body has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing stronger safety requirements.
Furthermore, the commission is in charge of the settlement procedures between licensees and the relatives of accident fatalities in the NESI.
“This will guarantee the settlement process’s transparency and assist the victim’s family in obtaining just restitution for their losses. Three successful compensation agreements between licensees and accident victims’ families were supervised by the Commission in 2024/Q3,” the statement added.
