Blackout Looms in Lagos over Grid Instability  

By Ayo Kehinde

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced emergency restoration efforts following a voltage instability on the national grid that disrupted electricity supply across Lagos and its environs on Thursday, resulting in the outage of key transmission lines and the temporary loss of power from some generating stations.

The disturbance, which occurred at approximately 8:19 a.m., rapidly spread across the Lagos power corridor, triggering transmission line outages and causing widespread power interruptions in Nigeria’s commercial hub.

TCN disclosed the development in a statement issued on Thursday by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, noting that immediate measures were activated to stabilise the national grid and prevent a broader system disturbance.

According to the company, the National Control Centre promptly directed several power-generating companies to reduce their output in response to a sharp rise in system frequency caused by the incident.

The intervention, TCN explained, was necessary to contain the instability, restore operational balance to the grid and forestall further disruptions to electricity supply across the country.

In response to the development, the Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, convened an emergency meeting with the leadership of TCN and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) to coordinate restoration efforts and assess the immediate and long-term implications of the incident.

The company said one of the major transmission assets affected by the disturbance, the Benin–Egbin 330kV Transmission Line, has already been restored and is currently wheeling bulk electricity to the Lagos axis.

TCN, however, noted that engineers from its Benin and Omotosho sub-regions are still working to rectify faults on the Benin–Omotosho 330kV Transmission Line, which remains critical to the full restoration of electricity supply to Lagos and neighbouring areas.

“We are pleased to report that one of the affected lines, the Benin–Egbin 330kV Transmission Line, which was opened during the incident, has already been restored and is currently transmitting bulk electricity. A combined team of TCN engineers from Benin and Omotosho Sub-Regions are working assiduously to rectify the remaining faults on the 330kV Benin–Omotosho Transmission Line”, the statement noted.

The transmission company apologised to residents, businesses and electricity consumers affected by the outage, expressing regret over the inconvenience and economic losses occasioned by the disruption.

It assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Power and all relevant agencies are working round the clock to restore normal bulk power transmission through the affected line and return the Lagos complex to full operational capacity.

TCN further stated that efforts are ongoing to strengthen the resilience of the national grid and minimise the recurrence of similar incidents, stressing that grid stability remains a top priority for the government and power sector operators.

The company appealed to affected consumers to remain patient while repair works continue, promising to provide further updates as restoration progresses.