A widespread power outage has affected northern Nigeria, with the northeast, northwest, and parts of the north-central regions plunged into darkness early Tuesday morning. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed the outage was caused by a fault in the 330-kilovolt (kV) Ugwaji-Apir double circuit transmission lines. The incident has disrupted electricity supply to millions of homes and businesses.
Transmission Lines Trip, Causing Power Loss
According to Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, the fault occurred around 4:53 a.m. when one of the Ugwaji-Makurdi transmission lines tripped, transferring 243 megawatts (MW) of power to another line. Minutes later, the second line also tripped, resulting in a total power loss of 468 MW. This sudden loss of electricity has left many northern states without power, causing significant disruption.
Fault Tracing in Progress
TCN immediately deployed teams from their Apir and Enugu transmission units to locate the fault along the 215-kilometre transmission route, which includes 245 towers. Despite efforts to trace the cause of the outage, TCN has not yet identified the fault. Mbah confirmed that investigations are ongoing to restore power as quickly as possible.
Impact on Northern Regions
The power outage has severely impacted daily activities in the affected regions, with businesses and households left struggling without electricity. Northern Nigeria, which relies heavily on consistent power supply for industries and daily life, has seen widespread disruption in services. Residents have expressed frustration over the continued challenges in the power sector, which has seen several outages in recent months.
Efforts to Restore Power
While TCN works to restore electricity, the company has urged the public to remain patient as their technical teams continue to investigate the root cause of the fault. Mbah reassured the public that all efforts are being made to bring the lines back online and prevent future occurrences. However, it remains unclear how long the restoration process will take.
Ongoing Challenges in Nigeria’s Power Sector
This latest outage highlights the ongoing challenges within Nigeria’s power sector, where aging infrastructure and frequent faults have become commonplace. Despite efforts to improve the country’s electricity grid, power disruptions continue to plague the nation. The government has been urged to address these issues to ensure stable and reliable power supply for all Nigerians.
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