News
Siemens Moves to End Electricity Theft with New Technology
The new power supply deal between Nigeria and Siemens AG, will see the German company deploy modern technology that will end the incessant problem of meter bypass leading to loss of billions of naira by Distribution Companies (Discos).
Speaking during a web conference, Onyeche Tifase, Managing Director of Siemens Nigeria, said that the issues of collection and power theft remain a major challenge in the industry, stressing that with the new technology, any infringement on the meters would be monitored real time.
Siemens lamented that the Aggregate Technical, Commercial, and Collections Loss (ATC&C), which is the difference between the amount of electricity received by Disco from the transmission company and the amount of electricity for which it invoices its customers, is currently as high as 50 per cent.
The federal government recently began the implementation of the deal with the German firm which is expected to overhaul the beleaguered sector in three phases between now and 2025.
The first phase of the deal would see the upgrading of 105 power substations and the construction of 70 new ones, manufacture and installation of 35 power transformers, installation of 3,765 distribution transformers and building of 5,109 km distribution lines with a potential generation capacity of over 13,000mw.
In phase one, 7gw is expected to be achieved between now and 2021, with the upgrading of transmission and distribution of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Discos expected to contribute an additional 2gw,while for phase two, 11gw will be achieved between 2021-2023, with full use of existing generation and last mile distribution capacity.
The third part will see the attainment of 25gw between 2023-2025 with appropriate upgrades and expansion in generation, transmission and distribution.
Tifase maintained that the company had identified everything that needs to be done to transform the sector, noting that in the past, decisions on the sector were over-ambitious with no clear plan on how to achieve them.
She noted that with the new deal, which saw the federal government pay an initial counterpart funding of about N8.6 billion a few weeks ago, every action and every phase of the execution has been carefully mapped out to avoid the failure of the project.
She explained that with minimal human interference and greater automation, the practice of cutting off the meter and stealing of electricity will be eradicated.
“This requires the participation of all stakeholders. We will bring the technology which allows us manage meters, vending and other data that will allow collection and reconciliation of payment.
“You cannot tamper with that meter because there’s real-time intervention, so, we can switch off when it is being tampered with. We have identified what we need to do about those smart meters” she said.
She added that with the new move to ensure that there’s a cost-reflective system and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency’s (NERC) efforts, Nigeria will experience a gradual attainment of self-sufficiency in power supply.
Tifase, lamented that inadequate power supply in the country had led to mass exodus of companies and individuals which had also resulted in loss of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The Siemens boss noted that with the company’s experiences in Iraq, Egypt and other third world countries, Nigerians would soon join the list of countries with adequate power supply.
In his intervention, Special Adviser, Policy, to the minister of power and Secretary, Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) Implementation Committee, Mr. Abba Aliyu, noted that lack of investment, inadequate infrastructure, uncoordinated policy implementation have been issues that beset the sector.
He assured that the federal government had put structures in place to ensure that the agreement and implementation of the Siemens deal is devoid of political considerations so as to outlive the current administration.
He said that there’s a clear governance structure which has made the operators comfortable to sit at the same table to negotiate the terms and conditions of the agreement.
INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 revealed that Artificial intelligence accounts for 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa and making attacks faster, more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to detect.
The report warns that the continent’s rapid digital transformation, marked by more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, is being matched by an equally rapid evolution in cybercrime, while fragmented legislation and limited AI readiness among law enforcement agencies continue to weaken responses.
The 40-page assessment, based on survey data from 36 African member countries, said cybercrime has shifted from isolated criminal activity to an industrialised, borderless ecosystem powered by AI.
According to the report, East Africa has become a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams are widespread across Central and West Africa.
Southern Africa, it noted, has become an attractive target for international cybercriminals due to its high level of internet connectivity.
The report also highlighted the growing financial impact of cybercrime across the continent, revealing that losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising from 192 million dollars to 484 million dollars.
It attributed the increase largely to AI-enabled scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering attacks.
INTERPOL said online scams remained the most commonly reported form of cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI-generated content to deceive victims.
It added that 72 per cent of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, with the highest concentration recorded in Southern and West Africa.
The report further identified digital sextortion and online harassment as persistent threats, driven increasingly by AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media.
According to data from TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, about 600,000 sextortion incidents were detected during the reporting period.
Business email compromise schemes have also become more sophisticated, with AI being used to generate highly convincing email communications.
The report said Africa-based threat actors are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America using cyber infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.
INTERPOL warned that the absence of real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies has created significant vulnerabilities in tackling financial cybercrime.
It said cybercriminals are no longer relying solely on stolen credentials but are now creating AI-generated synthetic identities by combining genuine personal information with fabricated details.
These synthetic identities, the report noted, have been used to bypass biometric verification systems, open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, described cybercrime as one of the most significant criminal threats facing Africa.
“Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant criminal threats to the region. AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion.
“However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled,” he said.
Despite the growing threat, the report highlighted progress in strengthening cybersecurity across the continent.
It disclosed that 17 African countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to improve responses to online offences affecting children.
The report also noted that regional capacity-building initiatives are helping to improve long-term cyber resilience.
INTERPOL said four major cybercrime operations conducted in 2025, Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0, resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over 100 million dollars.
To address the growing threat, the report recommended the adoption of standardised digital forensic capabilities, stronger cross-border collaboration, greater investment in AI literacy for law enforcement personnel and formal public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026 forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with data contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
Nigerian students will soon design, assemble, test and fly drones as part of their university education, following a partnership between Miva Open University and Abuja-based defence technology company Terra Industries.
The collaboration comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to develop indigenous capabilities in advanced manufacturing and defence technology, with both organisations seeking to strengthen Africa’s pipeline of deep-tech talent.
The partnership will see students gain hands-on experience in drone engineering and related technologies through dedicated labs and industry collaboration.
The partners will establish robotics, drone and virtual reality laboratories across Miva’s study centres, beginning with a pilot facility in Abuja.
Students will also gain access to industry-led workshops, research opportunities, internships and mentorship in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and autonomous systems.
According to the partners, Terra’s engineering teams will work alongside Miva faculty to integrate hands-on hardware training into academic programmes, exposing students to real-world engineering challenges and building industry experience before graduation.
Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra Industries, said Africa’s technological future depends on developing engineers capable of building solutions for local challenges.
“The engineers who will build Africa’s future must learn by building. This partnership creates opportunities for students to work with the technologies shaping modern security, infrastructure and autonomous systems,” said Nwachuku.
Miva Open University said the initiative forms part of its commitment to experiential learning, adding that students will have the opportunity to “design, test and fly drones as part of their academic experience”.
The partnership builds on Terra’s expanding role in Nigeria’s defence technology sector. Earlier this year, the company signed a joint venture with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to localise the production of drones, robotics systems and cybersecurity infrastructure, supporting efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports.
Atte Ayodeji, a Nigerian computer scientist,has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of detecting, counting, grouping and generating healthy hair follicles during hair transplant procedures, an innovation that earned him the Best Innovative Technology award.
Atte Ayodeji
Ayodeji also graduated with a Distinction in his Master of Science (MSc) in Computer Science from Birmingham City University on Friday, adding another milestone to an impressive academic year.
Beyond his award-winning hair transplant innovation, the Nigerian researcher developed a system and framework on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) as a professional responsibility in the diagnosis of lung cancer.
His dissertation received a silver award at the PGXPO2026 Winter, further highlighting the impact of his research in applying artificial intelligence to healthcare.
Sunday Dare, special adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Tinubu, celebrated Ayodeji’s achievements in a post on X, recalling how he first met him in 2019 during his National Youth Service.
“In 2019 when I became a Minister of the Republic, I met a young man of medium height, genteel with penetrating eyes: Atte Ayodeji. His words rarely come out and he could easily be passed by unnoticed. But I noticed him especially when my SA Kemi Areola brought him to me asking my approval for him to do his Youth Service in my office. I approved. From then on he was unstoppable. His brilliance shown and he developed skills beyond his frame.”
Highlighting Ayodeji’s recent accomplishments, Dare congratulated him saying, “Congratulations Atte. I am proud of you!”
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