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FILE: National power grid.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria has announced a partial restoration of electricity supply to seven states located in the Northern region of the country, which had been significantly impacted by the vandalisation of the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, disrupting power distribution and causing widespread outages.
The states include Lafia, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe States.
It stated that electricity was restored to the affected area as of 4:56 PM, following the successful repair of the 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line 1.
The TCN made the announcement in a statement signed by the General Manager of public affairs, Ndidi Mbah, on Wednesday.
This development follows a nine-day blackout in the entire region.
On October 22, TCN reported a power outage in the North-East, North-West and parts of North-Central after the 330 kV Ugwaji–Apir double circuit transmission lines 1 and 2 tripped around 4:53 am “due to a fault”.
Two days later, the transmission company said its linesmen had identified the fault responsible for the power outage.
However, insecurity challenges faced by TCN engineers in repairing the faulty lines forced President Bola Tinubu to oreder security assistance.
Providing a fresh update, the company said this issue has been partially resolved.
The statement read in part, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria has successfully restored bulk power supply through its 330kV Ugwuaji-Apir transmission line 1 as of 4:56 pm today, following the completion of repairs on the vandalized section of the line.
“With the restoration of this line, the Apir-Lafia 330kV transmission line 2 is now operational, also, bulk power transmission has been restored to Lafia, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe States.”
It added that restoration efforts are still ongoing, with the TCN engineering team preparing to commence work on the second 330kV transmission line.
“All necessary materials for the repairs are on hand, and work will begin as soon as the site is secured for the safety of our personnel to the affected sections of the vandalized 330kV transmission line two.
“In the meantime, teams of linesmen will re-patrol the 330kV line 2 to ensure that no other sections are impacted as the repair works progress.
The company appreciated the patience of affected residents and promised to swiftly repair the faulty lines thereby increasing the bulk power to the affected areas.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding as our engineers work diligently to restore the 330kV transmission line 2.
“TCN recognises the importance of electricity in our daily lives and is committed to ensuring that this line is repaired swiftly, thereby increasing the bulk power to the affected area by the incident,” the statement concluded.
With the new update, PUNCH Online reports that Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi, Benue, Jigawa, and Katsina are still in complete blackout.
