There are still severe safety problems in Nigeria’s energy industry. In 2025, at least 192 people were killed or hurt in power-related accidents.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission revealed data that reveals that while the overall number of deaths and injuries has gone down slightly from the previous year, it is still worryingly high.
The Guardian says that a closer look at the numbers shows that there were 109 deaths and 83 injuries in 2025, for a total of 192 casualties.
This marks a slight drop from 207 cases reported in 2024, but the improvement has done little to ease concerns about persistent risks within the sector.
The report says that safety problems are especially bad in the energy distribution sector, which had all of the accidents that were reported during the year.
During the time period being looked at, none of the events had anything to do with power producing businesses or the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
Regulators warn that the improvements in the last quarter of 2025, such as fewer accidents, deaths, and injuries, are not enough to make up for the bigger safety problems.
Companies like Eko and Kano, which distribute power, had the most incidents in the last quarter. This shows that there are still problems at that level of the power value chain.
The Commission says that risky behaviors and bad working conditions are still the main causes of accidents. Other things that have made the situation worse are downed power lines, illegal electricity hookups, and vandalism. All of these things still put workers and the public at risk.
The regulator also raised worries about old infrastructure and poor maintenance, saying that these problems make accidents much more likely, especially in locations with a lot of people.
Infrastructure damage is still an issue, even though people are hurt. During the same time period, the Transmission Company of Nigeria reported several instances of damage caused by explosions, fires, and vandalism. This raised new questions about the durability of important electrical infrastructure.
The Commission said that it has stepped up enforcement actions and is pushing for operators to follow the rules more closely, citing parts of the Electricity Act 2023. It also said that electrical companies must send in regular health and safety reports, and there are penalties for not doing so.
Even while regulators and stakeholders are actively working on the problem, the data shows that Nigeria’s electricity sector still has serious safety issues that need immediate and ongoing attention.
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