Nigeria has the capacity to generate 13,000 megawatts of electricity, but the country can only transmit 4,000 megawatts due to inadequate infrastructure.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has attributed the persistent power outages in Nigeria to widespread corruption within the country's power sector. During a visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes on Tuesday, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede revealed that investigations have uncovered numerous cases of contractors supplying substandard electrical equipment. These actions have led to frequent equipment failures and grid collapses, which have severely impacted residents throughout Nigeria.

Just last week, several major cities, including Abuja, Lagos, and Kano, experienced blackouts as the national electricity grid collapsed, marking the tenth such incident of the year.

Olukoyede shared with the committee that the power sector’s ongoing challenges were directly linked to corruption, with contractors cutting corners on materials. Specifically, contractors awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment opted to use cheaper, substandard 5.0 gauge materials instead of the required 9.0 gauge, contributing to frequent grid failures.

Additionally, Olukoyede noted the inefficiencies in capital project execution. He revealed that, over the past two decades, less than 20% of energy-related projects have been completed, which has resulted in a significant lack of infrastructure development in the sector. This deficiency has had a severe impact on Nigeria’s progress and overall economic growth.

Currently, the EFCC is investigating over 20,000 cases related to corruption and financial crimes. Olukoyede urged the Nigerian government to focus more on transparency, accountability, and the effective enforcement of regulations to combat corruption within the power sector.

Grid failures have become a common occurrence in Nigeria, where the power industry suffers from a severe lack of investment. Despite the country's potential to generate up to 13,000 megawatts of electricity, the transmission system is only capable of transmitting 4,000 megawatts, a result of weak infrastructure, as noted in the Transmission Company of Nigeria's report from the previous year.

Alongside infrastructure issues, armed groups have further exacerbated the situation by sabotaging power supplies. For instance, insurgents in northern Nigeria caused a major disruption last month, leaving the region without power for over seven days after vandalizing transmission lines, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria.