Kano and Kaduna, two major cities in Northern Nigeria, have experienced a significant power outage following the destruction of two key transmission towers owned by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The incident was confirmed by TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, in a public statement released on Friday, October 18, 2024.
According to Mbah, the towers affected are identified as T133 and T136. These towers are located along the 330-kilovolt Shiroro-Kaduna power lines 1 and 2, which play a crucial role in transmitting electricity to parts of the North West region of the country. The destruction of these towers has led to a power outage in Kano and Kaduna states, affecting businesses and households.
Mbah explained that efforts are already underway to address the damage. TCN is planning to deploy a newly acquired emergency restoration system to the site. This system will help restore power in the affected areas while a more permanent solution, such as rebuilding the damaged towers, is worked on.
The TCN spokesperson further revealed that the issue was first discovered when one of the 330kV transmission lines, line 1, tripped. Shortly after, line 2 also tripped while engineers were still attempting to resolve the initial issue. The situation became more concerning when local vigilantes, who were mobilized to patrol the area, discovered the damaged towers and cables.
“According to reports from the Shiroro Regional office of TCN, the 330kV transmission line one tripped first, followed shortly by the second, as efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line,” the statement read.
In response to the incident, TCN is working closely with local security agencies to assess the damage and monitor the area, which is known to be vulnerable to bandit attacks. An aerial survey has been conducted in collaboration with security operatives to ensure the safety of both TCN personnel and equipment.
In the meantime, TCN has implemented temporary measures to restore power to the affected regions. The company is supplying electricity through the 330kV Kaduna-Jos transmission line until the Shiroro-Kaduna lines are fully repaired. However, the vandalism of these vital lines, which are each capable of carrying up to 600 megawatts of power, presents a significant challenge for the restoration of full power supply.
Mbah assured the public that TCN is committed to restoring the damaged lines and ensuring that bulk power transmission to the North West region is resumed as quickly as possible. “We are, however, committed to re-erecting the towers and restringing the transmission lines to restore bulk power transmission through both 330kV power transmission lines,” she stated.
