Ikeja and Kano DisCos top incident chart as regulator flags unsafe practices, wire snaps, and illegal access
New data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that 33 Nigerians lost their lives, while another 33 sustained injuries, in electricity-related accidents recorded nationwide during the third quarter of 2025.
According to NERC’s Q3 safety performance report, a total of 57 power-related accidents were documented across the country within the three-month period, with incidents concentrated largely at the electricity distribution level.
The report identified the Ikeja and Kano electricity distribution zones as the worst affected during the quarter, with 10 accidents each. Ikeja DisCo recorded six injuries and four fatalities, while Kano DisCo reported six deaths and four injuries.
Other distribution areas including Abuja, Jos, Aba, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Yola also recorded multiple incidents, while Eko and Kaduna DisCos, as well as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), featured in the report due to accidents that resulted in either fatalities, serious injuries, or infrastructure damage.
Unsafe practices, wire snaps drive fatalities
NERC’s analysis showed that unsafe acts and hazardous conditions were the leading causes of injuries and were jointly responsible for the highest number of deaths during the quarter.
The regulator disclosed that wire snaps emerged as one of the most lethal hazards, accounting for 10 deaths and seven injuries.
Overall, 10 fatalities and 18 injuries were linked to unsafe work practices or dangerous operating environments, underscoring ongoing concerns around poor safety culture, human error, and weak enforcement of operational standards by electricity licensees.
The report also highlighted risks linked to illegal or unauthorised access to electricity infrastructure, which led to two deaths and three injuries, while vandalism was responsible for an additional two fatalities, despite accounting for fewer incidents overall.
Infrastructure damage, investigations underway
Beyond human casualties, NERC noted that the Transmission Company of Nigeria recorded four cases of damage to power assets and infrastructure, arising from explosions, fire outbreaks, or vandalism during the quarter.
The commission stated that investigations were launched into all reported accidents, adding that appropriate enforcement actions would be taken where violations are established.
To improve safety outcomes across the sector, NERC said it continues to organise periodic health and safety managers’ meetings, bringing together safety officers from electricity companies to review incidents, exchange lessons learned, and identify urgent areas for improvement.
During the quarter, the regulator also confirmed that it supervised the successful conclusion of two compensation negotiations between electricity companies and the families of accident victims.
Quarter-on-quarter comparison
Despite the grim figures, NERC noted a modest improvement compared to the previous quarter. In Q2 2025, the sector recorded 60 accidents, 38 fatalities, and 19 injuries.
“Relative to 2025/Q2, the number of accidents declined from 60 to 57, fatalities reduced from 38 to 33, while injuries increased from 19 to 33,” the report stated.
NERC further observed that all accidents recorded during Q3 occurred at the distribution level, noting that neither generation companies (Gencos) nor TCN recorded safety incidents involving casualties during the period.
Although all DisCos recorded casualties, the regulator said Ikeja and Kano DisCos accounted for the highest share, with 10 casualties each, while Eko and Kaduna DisCos recorded eight casualties each, representing 15.15 per cent and 12.12 per cent, respectively, of the total 66 casualties reported.
“This quarter reinforces the pattern of the distribution sub-sector being the dominant source of safety accidents in the Nigerian electricity industry,” NERC said.
The commission added that DisCos accounted for 93.33 per cent of accidents in Q4 2024, and 100 per cent of reported safety incidents in Q1 and Q2 2025, a trend it said remains a major regulatory concern.
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