NERC: 59 electricity workers die on duty in two quarters

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, at least 59 electricity workers lost their lives while performing their duties.

23 of the workers died in 55 accidents in the first quarter of 2024, according to a commission study.

According to the NERC, 31 more people were hurt in the 55 incidents.

According to the report, "there were 55 accidents in 2024/Q1, resulting in 31 injuries and 23 fatalities."

It said that 36 deaths were reported in the fourth quarter of 2023, 13 more than in the first quarter of 2023 when there were just 23 deaths.

There were thirty injuries and fifty accidents in the final quarter of 2023.

The commission declared that it had opened investigations into each incident and will keep collaborating with all industry players to raise the NESI's general level of health and safety.

The key causes of casualties (deaths and injuries) reported in Q1 2024, according to NERC, were wire snaps, which resulted in six deaths and six injuries; illegal or unauthorized access, which resulted in five deaths and two injuries; acts of vandalism, which resulted in two deaths and five injuries; unsafe acts/conditions, which resulted in ten deaths and twelve injuries; and falls from heights, which resulted in two injuries.

The licensees with the largest number of casualties—13 for Eko Disco, 8 for Benin Disco, 6 for Jos Disco, and 6 for Aba Power—among the 54 recorded during the quarter were these four.