The National Assembly has stepped up its push for tougher legislation to tackle the persistent rise in energy theft, a problem that continues to weaken electricity distribution across the country.
This renewed commitment came on Wednesday during an oversight visit by the House Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC).
The Committee, led by its Chairman Hon. Engr. Hamisu Ibrahim, met with the IBEDC management in Ibadan where he revealed that lawmakers are already fine-tuning a bill designed to impose stricter penalties, strengthen enforcement, and improve the protection of power infrastructure.
He described energy theft as one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of efficient power supply, noting that the National Assembly is preparing a more forceful legal framework to confront the challenge head-on.
“Energy theft has become a major obstacle to efficient electricity distribution in Nigeria.
“We are working on a robust legal framework that will decisively address this menace and safeguard infrastructure investments,” Ibrahim said.
He also reassured DisCos that the Committee would back their efforts to recover billions in outstanding electricity debts owed by federal and state ministries, departments and agencies as well as local governments.
He said such debts, left unattended, had weakened liquidity across the value chain.
“I want to assure the DisCos that this Committee is going to stand firm to ensure these debts are recovered,” he added.
IBEDC’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Francis Agoha, used the session to draw attention to the twin burdens of energy theft and unpaid government debts.
He explained that both issues have strained the company’s finances and slowed its ability to reinforce and expand distribution infrastructure.
Agoha walked the lawmakers through the company’s investments since the 2013 privatisation.
He pointed to gains in network expansion, metering, safety upgrades, and customer service, while acknowledging that persistent challenges continue to hinder progress.
“We have significantly expanded and rehabilitated our distribution network, but the challenges of energy theft, vandalism, and outstanding government debts continue to undermine our service delivery. We appreciate the National Assembly’s willingness to intervene,” he said.
The Committee took time to inspect key IBEDC installations as part of its broader mandate to evaluate the performance of privatised power assets and identify areas requiring policy or regulatory attention.
Lawmakers on the delegation included Hon. Ganiyu Ayuba (Alimosho Federal Constituency, Lagos), Hon. Donatus Mathew (Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna), Hon. Omirin Olusanya (Atakunmosa/Ilesa, Osun) alongside representatives of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.