The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has recorded a total of 112 electricity-related fatalities in 2024, a slight decrease of 2.6% from the 115 deaths reported in 2023. Despite this small reduction, the commission highlighted that incidents linked to vandalism and wire snaps continue to pose serious threats to both utility workers and the public.
In its quarterly report, NERC also noted a reduction in injuries, with 95 reported in 2024, down 6.9% from the 102 recorded in 2023. However, the data revealed that the distribution of fatalities was uneven across the year, with some quarters witnessing significant spikes in casualties.
In the first quarter of 2024, NERC recorded 23 fatalities, marking a 35.3% increase from 17 deaths in the same period in 2023. Additionally, injuries surged by 93.8%, rising from 16 in Q1 2023 to 31 in Q1 2024. Notably, NESCO and Yola Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) were the only operators to report zero casualties in the first quarter.
The report also identified Egbin Power Plant as the sole generation company (GenCo) to report a safety accident during the first quarter of 2024.
The highest number of casualties in Q1 was recorded by Eko Electricity Distribution Company, which accounted for 13 fatalities, or 24.07% of the total deaths. Benin, Jos, and Aba DisCos each reported six fatalities, making up 11.11% each of the total casualties for the quarter. DisCos were responsible for 96.3% of the total casualties in Q1, continuing the trend observed in Q4 2023, when DisCos accounted for 98.48% of fatalities.
Wire snaps, unauthorized access to electrical installations, and acts of vandalism were identified as major causes of casualties in the first quarter. Specifically, wire snaps led to six deaths and six injuries, while illegal access to electrical installations caused five deaths and two injuries. Vandalism was responsible for two deaths and five injuries, while unsafe acts contributed to 10 deaths and 12 injuries.
The second quarter of 2024 saw an increase in fatalities, with deaths rising by 21.4% from 28 in Q2 2023 to 34 in the same period in 2024. On the other hand, injuries dropped by 39.3%, from 28 in 2023 to 17 in 2024. This indicates that while the severity of incidents worsened, the frequency of less severe accidents decreased.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company reported the highest number of casualties in Q2, with 13 fatalities out of 51 total deaths, making up 25.49% of the fatalities during the period. Eko DisCo followed with eight deaths, while Jos and Enugu DisCos recorded seven and six fatalities, respectively. Like in Q1, DisCos accounted for 100% of the casualties in Q2.
The leading causes of casualties in Q2 included illegal access to electrical installations, unsafe acts, and wire snaps. Illegal access resulted in 11 deaths and one injury, while unsafe acts caused 10 deaths and 14 injuries. Vandalism led to four fatalities, while falls from height caused two injuries but no fatalities.
In the third quarter, fatalities dropped by 14.7%, from 34 in 2023 to 29 in 2024. Injuries remained consistent at 28 for both years. Egbin Power Plant was the only GenCo to report a casualty during this period, while NESCO remained injury-free for the quarter.
The report also detailed incidents of damage to electrical infrastructure, with 23 cases of damage reported by the Transmission Company of Nigeria. Ibadan and Eko DisCos recorded two and one incidents, respectively, primarily caused by explosions, fires, or vandalism.
NERC has continued to emphasize the importance of safety in the Nigerian electricity sector and urged all industry stakeholders to work together in reducing these preventable accidents.
