Residents of six states in northern Nigeria will experience a two-day blackout following a scheduled maintenance exercise by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The planned power outage, which will affect electricity supply on Saturday and Sunday, is part of ongoing efforts to upgrade critical transmission infrastructure on the national grid.
The affected states are Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba. Major cities expected to be impacted include Bauchi, Gombe, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola and Jalingo, as well as surrounding communities served by the affected transmission line.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah.
According to the company, the temporary outage became necessary to enable engineers to install an Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) on the 330kV Jos–Bauchi–Gombe single-circuit transmission line at the Bauchi 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation.
TCN explained that the installation forms part of ongoing projects aimed at modernising the country’s transmission infrastructure, strengthening communication systems and improving the overall reliability and efficiency of electricity transmission across Nigeria.
The company added that the maintenance exercise has been carefully scheduled to ensure the installation is completed within the shortest possible time while minimising disruption to electricity consumers.
Maintenance to affect YEDC, JEDC customers
TCN said the maintenance work would temporarily prevent the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) and the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) from receiving bulk electricity from the national grid for onward distribution to customers in the affected areas.
As a result, residents and businesses in Bauchi, Gombe, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola, Jalingo and neighbouring communities will experience an interruption in electricity supply throughout the duration of the exercise.
The company noted that both distribution companies would be unable to supply electricity to customers because the transmission line serving the affected locations would be temporarily shut down to guarantee the safety of personnel carrying out the installation.
In the statement, TCN said, “As a result, Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) will be unable to off-take electricity for onward delivery to customers in Bauchi, Gombe, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola, Jalingo and its environs.”
The company appealed to consumers in the affected states to remain patient and cooperate with its engineers while the work is being completed.
Power restoration after completion
TCN assured residents that the blackout is only temporary and that every effort would be made to conclude the installation within the scheduled period.
According to the company, electricity supply will be restored immediately after the Optical Ground Wire installation is completed and the transmission line is re-energised.
The agency stressed that the project is expected to improve the reliability of the transmission network and contribute to more stable electricity supply in the long term.
It also apologised for the inconvenience the planned outage may cause households, businesses and public institutions, reiterating its commitment to expanding and modernising Nigeria’s power transmission network in support of improved electricity delivery across the country.