TCN Pledges to Restore Electricity in North-east by May 27

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said it is working to restore power in the North-east after the company’s lines were attacked by suspected terrorists recently.

A statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs of the company, Ndidi Mbah, stated that one of the towers attacked was nearing 80 per cent completion; another at 60 per cent and a third was at 30 per cent completion.

“The transmission company of Nigeria hereby states that its contractors are working assiduously to erect four new transmission towers along the Jos-Gombe axis, to enable the restoration of power supply to states in the North-eastern part of the country, following an earlier destructive attack on four transmission towers by vandals.

“The tower collapse affected Gombe, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola, Bauchi and Jalingo. Immediately after the incident however, TCN engineers worked first to redistribute available bulk supply on the Jos – Bauchi – Gombe 132kV line between Jos and Yola Distribution Companies (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, another at 60 per cent, a third at 30 per cent, and dismantling work finished on the fourth tower,” Mbah said.

Additionally, the TCN stressed that tower members were being fabricated and assembled on-site to expedite construction, expressing its commitment to a quick restoration of bulk power on the line route.

It stated that construction work on the Jos – Gombe transmission line, taking supply up to Damaturu and environs will be completed and energised by the May 20, 2024, while the Damaturu – Maiduguri axis will be completed on the  May 27, 2024.

“Expectedly, bulk power transmission would be fully restored on the affected 330kV transmission line by May 27, Yola and Jos Discos would also be able to offtake and distribute optimally from TCN substations,” the government-owned company stated.

For now, it noted that only 38MW is wheeled to both Jos and Yola Distribution companies, with each receiving 19MW each.

According to the company, 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.