PHCN Gives Reason For Nation Wide Blackout

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said recent disruption in supply of electricity across the country was occasioned by a major collapse of the transmission grid.

The TCN in a statement by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Dave Ifabiyi, yesterday in Abuja, stated that a fault had occurred on a major transmission line running from Benin-City, Edo State to Lagos through Osogbo, Osun State which resulted in the shutdown of the Egbin, Omotosho and Olorunsogo power stations respectively.

While extending apologies to electricity consumers across the country, it explained that the development resulted in nationwide blackout which occurred on May 24.

He, however, noted that recovery efforts by the company’s engineers to rectify the fault as well as bring up the system had begun but will take some time due to the magnitude of the incident.

Although power supply had not been fully restored in pockets of areas within some states, the company, however, assured Nigerians that it expects that the system would be fully recovered by the end of yesterday, adding that a separate incident had seen three of its transmission towers damaged by rain storm, in the North-western part of the country.

It also said the damage had affected a major 330KV transmission line which conveys power from Kainji to Brinin-Kebbi in Kebbi State and to the Niger Republic.

Based on this, Ifabiyi explained that repairs are ongoing but would take some weeks to complete. According to him, arrangement has however been put in place to give skeletal electricity supply to the affected areas, through the Kaduna transmission substation.
He said TCN would also initiate electricity load shedding in Zaria in Kaduna State, Funtua in Katsina State, Gusau and Talata-Mafara in Zamfara State, Sokoto in Sokoto State as well as in Brinin-Kebbi.

“While TCN regrets the inconveniences the incidents have caused its valuable customers within the nation and Niger Republic, it assured that it will continue to work towards stabilising and expanding the nation’s transmission grid,” Ifabiyi said.

The country’s transmission network has recently been witnessing frequent major and minor system collapses with the Ministry of Power pegging the number at about 12 in the very recent past.