The designated Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Engr. Abdullahi Ramat, has stated that he will collaborate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest electricity consumers engaging in meter bypass, electricity theft, among others.
He said he will champion the use of technology to solve major issues facing the power sector.
“Part of my plan includes developing an app available in both Android and iOS, which will integrate the APIs of DISCOs and NISO to provide NERC with real-time visibility of payment channels and system operations.”
FG moves to safeguard schools, guarantee secure education
Power outages in the health sector no longer acceptable – Tinubu
“In addition, we will deploy a whistleblowing tool, similar to the community policing software called LURA app I pioneered at the local government level to empower citizens to anonymously report electricity theft, meter bypass, and illegal connections. We will partner with the EFCC, borrowing a leaf from the successful naira mutilation campaign, to enforce arrests, apply name-and-shame measures, and carry out prosecutions, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment, as provided by section 208 of the Electricity Act 2023.
“This approach will not only curb electricity theft but also help reduce tariffs, since part of these losses are factored into consumer bills through MYTO. Honest customers should not continue paying for the crimes of electricity thieves. Ending electricity theft and vandalism is a journey we must all travel together.”
He stated that challenges in the sector are enormous with almost 50% of generated power being lost, leaving efficiency at barely half capacity.
“This has discouraged investors and fuelled today’s liquidity crisis, despite 20 years of reform and 12 good years of privatization –while other privatized sectors like telecom thrive with liquidity and competition.”
He noted that the sector’s mixed ownership (private and government) makes digitization fragmented, thus no single entity can compel another.
He, however, said with NERC the apex regulator, it has the mandate to drive full digitization across the value chain and by deploying IT, Nigeria can optimize operations, streamline processes, integrate payment and monitoring systems, stabilize the grid, enforce transparency, reduces losses such as TLF and ATC&C, and boost efficiency.
He went on to state that while advanced nations are embracing blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and other frontier technologies, many African governments remain tied to outdated systems. Meanwhile, citizens and businesses are rapidly digitizing, further widening the gap between the public and private sectors.
He warned that without urgent action, governments risk losing ability to tax, regulate, and safeguard sovereignty, creating a chaotic digital ‘Wild West,’ as technology is no longer optional –it is the engine of national competitiveness and for Nigeria to thrive globally, automation and e-Governance must move from aspiration to action.
“I firmly believe that with digitization, we can tackle the sector’s challenges head-on: reducing losses, boosting efficiency, restoring investor confidence, protecting consumers, attracting competition, increasing liquidity, and ultimately lowering tariffs. This is not theory –it is achievable.”
