By Onoja Baba, Nigeria
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is intensifying efforts to restore the TRI-300 MVA power transformer at the Lekki 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation, after it shut down on October 24, following unusual arcing sounds and smoke emissions.
TCN, working closely with contractor Shanghai Electric Company and TCN engineers, said it aims to bring the transformer back online to minimise the impact on electricity consumers in the region.
In a statement released on Monday, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, detailed the incident, noting that protective controls had triggered the shutdown to prevent damage.
He said: “TCN’s Aja maintenance team quickly isolated the affected cables to allow system operators to restore power on the primary side, while redirecting the main power cable initially designated for a new transformer to expedite repairs.”
Meanwhile, this transformer outage comes as northern Nigeria and other parts of the country face a severe wave of blackouts in recent times, with over nine nationwide grid collapses this year alone.
African Culture TV reported that between mid-October and now, the National Power Grid has collapsed three times, and in the past few days, states such as Plateau, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe are without electricity.
The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) had also apologised this week for failing to meet its 20-hour daily supply promise, citing limitations in infrastructure and supply.
Since President Bola Tinubu’s administration took to office16 months ago, the national grid has collapsed at least 12 times, revealing the ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s ageing energy infrastructure.
With Nigeria’s National Grid recording 105 collapses in the last decade, residents across the country are urging immediate government intervention to address the widespread darkness that has disrupted their lives and economy.
The persistent outages reveal the urgent need for systemic reforms to modernise Nigeria’s power sector, with experts pointing to outdated infrastructure, sabotage, and a lack of alternative energy investment as underlying issues.
The effects of these outages are hitting Nigerians hard, especially northern residents who are currently facing the challenge.
Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso recently took to X to condemn ongoing vandalism of critical power lines like the Shiroro-Kaduna line, which supports Kano and Kaduna, and called for urgent investment in sustainable alternatives