An innovative approach has been proposed by a tech expert in Nigeria to combat the ongoing issue of vandalization of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) towers and other critical infrastructure in the country.
Nathan Nwachuku, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of TerraHaptix, highlighted this solution in a recent interview.
Recent reports reveal a power outage in Maiduguri following the destruction of TCN’s T193 and T194 towers along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV Single Circuit Transmission Line by vandals.
Suggesting a remedy, Nwachuku recommended the implementation of a robotic surveillance system by the Nigerian government to counteract these acts of vandalism.
“To combat vandalism, TCN should consider adopting a heavy-duty surveillance system like Archer, which provides comprehensive aerial coverage up to four points,” Nwachuku stated.
He further elaborated on the Kallon, an autonomous surveillance system designed for installation in all transmission substations nationwide. “The Kallon’s coverage extends up to five kilometers, allowing for early detection of intruders and immediate alerting of response teams. It serves as a robust security measure to safeguard critical infrastructure,” he mentioned during the interview with NewsNow.
Residents of Gombe, Yola, and Jalingo previously faced prolonged power outages after vandals targeted four towers along the Jos-Gombe transmission line.
TCN reported five vandalism incidents in February 2024 alone and highlighted that more than 108 electricity transmission towers were destroyed within a span of nine months.