Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s electricity sector records 112 deaths in 2024 as regulators link fatal accidents to inadequate training and poor technical capacity.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission says 95 additional people sustain injuries, highlighting persistent safety risks despite marginal improvement from 2023 figures.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja on Thursday, NERC representative Joseph John warns that infrastructure investment alone cannot deliver results without skilled manpower.
“When operators lack proper training, accidents become inevitable and often deadly,” John says.
He cautions that billions spent on power generation, transmission and distribution risk waste without competent personnel to operate and maintain assets.
The metering programme exposes the manpower crisis. While Nigeria imports large volumes of meters, installation capacity remains limited.
“Meters don’t install themselves. Qualified technicians are in short supply,” John notes.
Between January and September 2025, electrical incidents killed or injured another 149 people, prompting intensified regulatory scrutiny.
NAPTIN Director-General Ahmed Nagode says training curricula now align with industry needs following major institutional reforms supported by international partners.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company confirms NAPTIN delivers 40 per cent of its technical training in 2025, underscoring workforce development’s growing role.
Regulators pledge support for accelerated skills training, describing technical competence as central to reducing fatalities and improving service delivery.
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