In its quarterly report, the NERC revealed that there were 112 electricity-related deaths in 2024, marking a slight decrease of 2.6% from the 115 deaths reported in 2023.
Despite this decline, the data indicates that vandalism-related incidents remain a significant danger to both utility workers and the public.
Additionally, The PUNCH noted that the total number of injuries in 2024 was 95, which reflects a 6.9% decrease from the 102 injuries recorded in 2023.
The NERC report also pointed out that fatalities were not evenly distributed throughout the year, with certain quarters experiencing notable spikes.
In the first quarter of 2024, there were 23 fatalities, a 35.3% increase from the 17 fatalities reported in the same period of 2023.
Injuries saw a dramatic rise of 93.8%, increasing from 16 in the first quarter of 2023 to 31 in the first quarter of 2024.
According to the NERC, NESCO and Yola Electricity Distribution Companies were the only distribution companies (DisCos) that reported no casualties in the first quarter of 2024.
The Commission also noted that Egbin was the sole generation company to report a safety incident during this period.
In its Q1 2024 report, NERC revealed that a total of 54 casualties occurred, with Eko Electricity Distribution Company having the highest number at 13, which represents 24.07% of the total. Benin DisCo followed with eight casualties (14.81%), while both Jos and Aba DisCos recorded six casualties each, accounting for 11.11% each.
The report further indicated that DisCos were responsible for 96.30% of all casualties reported in Q1 2024. Although this figure is slightly lower, it continues the trend from the previous quarter, Q4 2023, when DisCos accounted for 98.48% of casualties. This pattern suggests that the distribution sector remains a significant contributor to safety incidents.
