The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that two of its newly rebuilt power towers, T193 and T194, along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV Single Circuit Transmission Line, have been destroyed by vandals again.
According to a statement by Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, the incident occurred at approximately 10:15 pm on Tuesday night, causing the 150MVA power transformer at Molal Substation to trip, and disrupting bulk power supply to Maiduguri from Damaturu Transmission Substation.
TCN engineers attempted to restore power but failed repeatedly due to the damage. A patrol team comprising TCN engineers and security operatives discovered the destroyed towers, with fragments of explosive devices scattered at the site.
This is the second time these towers have been targeted, with a similar incident occurring on December 28, 2023. TCN is currently assessing the situation to determine the best approach for temporary restoration of power supply while a contractor is mobilized to rebuild the towers.
The company is calling on the government and Nigerians to join in the fight against the destruction of national assets.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that a tower collapse and multiple vandalism incidents have hindered its efforts to restore power to the North East region.
According to a statement by Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs, on May 27, 2024, a tower (T290) along the Jos-Gombe 330kV transmission line collapsed during the cable stringing process, despite efforts by TCN contractors and engineers to meet the restoration timeline.
Furthermore, three towers (T1690, T1691, and T1692) along the Biu-Dambua 132kV transmission line were vandalized, resulting in the collapse of all three towers, with 16 spans of conductors stolen. A contractor has been mobilized to commence reconstruction.
Additionally, tower T540 along the Makurdi-Jos 330kV double circuit transmission line was vandalized, with sections removed, although it remains standing. Emergency repairs have been contracted to prevent its collapse.
TCN reiterated its commitment to restoring normal bulk power supply to the North East and other affected areas but emphasized the need for collective efforts to protect power assets by reporting suspected vandalism promptly.
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal government to immediately allocate funds through the Ministry of Power to revive vandalized transmission lines infrastructure that supply energy to the North East.
This followed a distress motion sponsored by Senator Haruna Manu representing Taraba Central Senatorial District and co-sponsored by 8 others, highlighting the enormity of life faced by citizens in the affected 6 states due to the total blackout.
He said the entire NorthEast of the country had been without power supply for over a month as a result of incessant vandalisation along the Jos-Gombe 330KV transmission line that has resulted in disruption of power supply, affecting millions of residents.
The blackout, he said, has affected the operation of hospitals, commercial activities, communications networks, public safety and the overall well-being of the people of Plateau, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States.
He lamented that the ugly trend has exacerbated insecurity issues, and imposes a heavy financial burden on public resources for the repair and replacement of infrastructural damages.
He said: “The vandalization of critical electricity transmission infrastructure poses a significant threat to the economic prosperity, public health, safety, and security of the North-East region of Nigeria.
“That recent incidents of vandalization along the Jos-Gombe 330KV transmission line have resulted in severe disruptions to power supply, affecting millions of residents, hospitals, commercial activities communication networks, public safety, and the overall well-being of the people in Plateau, Comb Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno States.”
In his contribution to the motion, former Senate President and Senator representing Yobe North Senatorial District, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan lamented the underdevelopment of the North East zone.
According to him, the underdevelopment of the zone was reported in the United Nations Report in the 90s, classifying the zone as the poorest out of the 6 zones in terms of economic and infrastructural development, adding that asking for the revival of electricity infrastructure was the smallest compared to what other zones are enjoying.
Senator Ahmed Wadada representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District sympathized with the Senators and constituents that make up the entire North East over electricity blackout, insisting that economic activities have moved from the analogue to the digital era, such that without electricity, no one can virtually do anything to eke out a living.
He said: “I sympathise with the people of North East who have been without light for over a month due to a total blackout. Without electricity, you can’t achieve virtually anything.
“Without natives charging their phones, how do you communicate, do digital banking.”
Wadada urged Senator Godswill Akpabio to change the narrative, given that the present administration has the political wherewithal to ensure the workability of the power sector.
After contributions by other lawmakers, prayers, “urging the FG to expedite the construction of the Makurdi-Jalingo 330KVA transmission line”, and “that the FG should implement the recommendations in Sections 209, 210, 211, 212, and 213 of the Electricity Act, 2023 was sustained after the question was put to vote by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is facing mounting pressure to resign due to the persistent power outage in the Northeast geo-political zone of the country.
Legal luminary Bilyaminu Maihanchi from Taraba State has joined the chorus of voices demanding the Minister’s immediate resignation, citing his alleged failure to restore power to the region.
In an open letter on Sunday, Maihanchi highlighted the severe impact of the power outage on economic growth, healthcare services, education, and general quality of life in the region. He accused the Minister of neglecting his duties and failing to provide basic necessities for the people.
“The people of the Northeast have suffered for far too long without access to reliable electricity, hindering economic development, healthcare, education, and overall well-being,” Maihanchi said.
“Your resignation would demonstrate accountability and pave the way for a more competent and dedicated individual to take the helm and address the long-suffering people’s needs.”
The Taraba State government has also aligned itself with Maihanchi’s demand, accusing the federal government of neglecting the state and the region.
Commissioner of Energy and Economic Development Naomi Agbu expressed concern over the lengthy response time to faults and the priority given to the sector, stating:
“The lengthy time to respond to this matter is concerning as it shows complete neglect by the federal government of Nigeria to Taraba state and the region.
If there is one thing we have all learnt in the past few days from the response time to faults and the priority of the heads in the sector, is that the network to the North-East region is vulnerable.”
The persistent power outage has plunged states in the Northeast, including Taraba, into darkness for the past three weeks, following the alleged vandalization of electricity equipment belonging to the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC). T
he people of the region are demanding urgent action to restore power and hold the Minister accountable for his alleged failure to address the issue.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, says its contractors are working tirelessly to erect four new transmission towers along the Jos-Gombe axis.
The company said this is to enable it restore power supply to states in the North Eastern part of the country, Ndidi Mbah, TCN’S General Manager, Public Affairs stated this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
Mr Mbah said that the erection of the towers followed an earlier destructive attack on four transmission towers by vandals.
She said that the towers collapsed and affected Gombe, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola, Bauchi and Jalingo.
”Immediately after the incident, TCN’s engineers worked first to redistribute available bulk supply on the Jos – Bauchi – Gombe 132 Kilo Volt (kV) line between Jos and Yola Discos.
”While work commenced immediately at reconstructing the four vandalised towers.
”Presently, we are rebuilding the four towers simultaneously. Progress is evident, with one tower nearing 80 per cent completion and another at 60 per cent,”she said.
According to her, the third is at 30 per cent and dismantling work finished on the fourth tower.
Mr Mbah said that additionally, tower members are being fabricated and assembled on-site to expedite construction.
She said that the company was committed to quick restoration of bulk power on the line route.
“Construction work on the Jos – Gombe transmission line, taking supply up to Damaturu and environs, will be completed and energised by the May 20 while the Damaturu – Maiduguri axis will be completed on May 27.
”Expectedly, bulk power transmission will be fully restored on the affected 330kV transmission line by May 27, Yola and Jos DisCos will also be able to offtake and distribute optimally from TCN substations.
”For now, only 38 Megawatts (MW) is wheeled to both Jos and Yola Distribution companies, with each receiving 19MW each,” she said.
Mr Mbah said that efforts to take some of the available power to Jalingo was hampered by very high voltage on the line, which could cause a system disturbance. She said that TCN was aware of the inconveniences resulting from the current inadequate power supply through Yola, and Jos DisCos to electricity customers in the affected states.
Mr Mbah said that the company pledged to earnestly expedite work on the towers, to ensure that they are completed within the time frame indicated.
Residents of Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, are demanding immediate action to connect the town to the Kashinbilla Hydro-Power Station, located in the southern part of the state, amid a prolonged power outage lasting over 12 days.
The Kashinbilla Hydro-Power Station has the capacity to generate 40 megawatts of electricity, which could potentially solve the current power crisis gripping the city. Residents are frustrated with the disparity in power distribution across the state, with the southern senatorial zone enjoying uninterrupted power while the rest, including Jalingo, suffer from chronic outages.
Abubakar Sani, a prominent rice miller and businessman in Jalingo, decried the unfairness of the situation, stating that as the state capital, Jalingo hosts a significant population, numerous institutions, hospitals, and government ministries, all of which depend on reliable electricity to function efficiently.
Bulus James, another resident, lamented the diversion of power generated by the Kashinbilla Hydro-Power Station to neighboring states, leaving Jalingo and other parts of Taraba in darkness. He urged both the federal and Taraba State governments to prioritize connecting the central and northern zones of the state to the Kashinbilla Hydro-Power Station.
The recent disruption in power supply from the Gombe power line due to vandalism has exacerbated the situation, leaving residents without electricity for over 12 days.
The residents are calling on the government to take immediate action to address the power crisis and connect Jalingo to the Kashinbilla Hydro-Power Station.
Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur, Vice Chancellor of Modibbo Adama University (MAU), has sounded the alarm that most universities in Nigeria may soon be unable to provide electricity and water for their students and staff due to worsening economic challenges.
Addressing a pre-convocation news conference on Tuesday at the university campus in Girei, near Yola, the VC attributed the looming crisis to the floating of the Naira, withdrawal of fuel subsidy, and the consequent hike in energy costs.
He lamented that the astronomical cost of providing basic essential services and utilities is having a significant impact on the institution.
However, Professor Tukur announced that MAU has made significant progress in efforts to establish solar power for use throughout the campus. Under a program initiated by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), supported by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and other sponsors, the solar energy project is set to take off.
The project aims to provide alternative 24-hour solar power for the university, with a dedicated land allocated for the construction of a solar panel farm and modalities in place for maintenance and sustenance of the projected five megawatts of electricity to be supplied. The contract has been awarded, and the site has been handed over to contractors and consultants.
The VC emphasized the need for quick and huge interventions to address the challenges facing universities, warning that without such interventions, most universities might not be able to provide power and water for their students and staff.
Power supply to Gombe, Yola, and Jalingo substations has been disrupted. The disruption was caused by the destruction of four towers along the Jos-Gombe 330kV transmission line, which occurred at approximately 3:32 pm on Monday.
According to Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the incident led to the collapse of the towers and the theft of tower members.
Efforts to restore the 330kV transmission line were hindered when it tripped again, prompting TCN’s engineering crew to trace the line and identify the fault.
In response to the outage, TCN is working to back feed Gombe through its 132kV transmission line from Bauchi, followed by efforts to restore power to Ashaka, Potiskum, Damaturu, and Billiri/Savannah.
The company has also pledged to reconstruct the vandalized towers to mitigate the impact on affected electricity consumers.
The Lack of steady power supply, further worsened by insurgency, has continued to affect businesses and other activities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The three states, known as BAY states, are the worst affected by the activities of insurgency in the North East where critical assets, including power transmission lines, had been destroyed.
In Borno, the transmission line from the National Grid supplying Maiduguri and its environs, had been destroyed, while the newly-constructed 50-megawatt station constructed by NNPC, has developed problems and is still undergoing repairs for the past two weeks.
Residents of the city now depend on generators, a development that has crippled many businesses including night life in the town that still has a 10pm curfew, while nobody is allowed in or out of the city by 8pm.
Musa Abubakar, who sells drinks and ice water, said things are not easy and one has to buy diesel at about N2,000 per litre to keep business going.
“With the current hot weather and fasting period, people are buying a sachet of ice block for N250 or N200, depending on the quantity,” Abubakar said.
In Yobe where almost a similar situation exists, some business owners expressed their frustration with the power situation.
Ofem Iviang, the Group Managing Director of Cedars and Unicorn Hotel Services, Damaturu, said power outages have significantly increased the company’s operating costs.
“Now we depend on diesel to run our generator, as electricity supply has become epileptic.
“The cost of running the business has tripled; we are almost running at a loss because everything we generate goes into buying diesel,” he lamented.
Mr Iviang urged the government to take swift action to address the issue.
He also called for measures to curb artificial price hikes of diesel by filling stations, which has further strained businesses like his.
Yahaya Danlele, a tailor, highlighted the heavy reliance of modern tailoring on electricity and how many tailors are spending too much on fuel to be in business.
In Adamawa, residents and business owners in Yola, the state capital, also decried the drop in hours of power supply, leading to a disruption in social and economic activities in the state.
Aliyu Musa, a Yola resident and business owner, said there has been a serious decline in the hours of power supply to his residential and business location.
“In my area, we get just about eight hours of light daily, as against over 15 to 18 hours of light, which was manageable last year.
“This has resulted in a high level of discomfort, especially with the peculiar nature of high and unbearable temperature in Yola.
“This has also increased the cost of buying fuel to power generators in our homes and offices for alternative power supply.
“Storage and preservation of perishable household goods have become almost impossible as they easily get bad,” Musa said”.
Also speaking, Richard Fwa, Managing Director, Duragi Hotels, described the power supply as paralytic, saying it has affected ease of doing business and decline in profit.
Mr Fwa, who manages a 35-bed hotel and school in Yola, said he spends one quarter of his total income annually on diesel with a daily purchase of fuel worth N400,000.
“The situation is really terrible. I buy one liter of diesel for between N1,500 and N1,750. We in the tourism industry are certainly not getting a return on our investments.
“Last year, I spent over N14 million on diesel alone, aside from the electricity bills I pay. Because of the inconsistent power supply, I even have to borrow money to keep my business running.
“The only time we get reasonable hours of power within three to four days, is when the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) is close to bringing their bills, which is unfortunate,” he lamented.
The MD further said the current general cost of living index compared to prices of goods and services was unacceptable, while appealing to government, electricity generators and distributors to urgently address the lingering challenges in the sector.
Efforts to get the reaction of YEDC officials to comment did not yield results.
An expert, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that several factors had contributed to the current state of inadequate power supply in the state, resulting in the disruptions of both economic and social activities.
“It has also created a lot of inconveniences for residents and businesses,” he said.
One of the primary factors, he said, was the low supply of gas to generating companies (Gencos) which has led to a gradual decrease in available generation into the grid.
This, he said, had significantly reduced the power available on the transmission grid for onward supply to YEDC, and in turn, greatly hindered their ability to provide power to customers within their area of coverage.
Vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructures, he noted, had remained a major issue negatively impacting power supply as well as payment apathy from customers as major challenges to adequate power supply.
