The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, says it will deploy unmanned aerial technology, drones to checkmate vandalism of transmission lines and equipment across the country.
TCN Managing Director, Atiku Abubakar, who made the disclosure while fielding questions from the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday, explained that the decision to deploy technology to tackle transmission infrastructure vandalism as part of the bid to ensure sustainable improvement in power supply in the country.
“We have just considered in our last tender board meeting, the use of drones to ply our lines, where we feel there are issue of vandalism. That is a technology we are going ahead with and we believe it will help to alert us on any possible case of vandalism that is likely to happen on to our line.
Abubakar also disclosed that vandalism of transmission equipment and lines was responsible for the collapse of some of its transmission lines in the country, stressing that a new legislation is expected to help combat the menace. “We are also looking forward to the cooperation of the National Assembly so that they can promulgate laws to deal with vandalism of critical infrastructures, I know that is being contemplated,” he said.
He disclosed that the first batch of the recently released stranded containers at the port, comprising transmission equipment, had been deployed to sites for the completion of the projects. According to him, the release of the remaining containers would facilitate the speedy completion of the critical transmission projects in the country.
By Olisemeka Obeche with Agency Report