Kehinde Fajobi
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has located the fault responsible for the power outage affecting the North-East, North-West, and parts of North-Central Nigeria.
According to TCN’s general manager of public affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the issue was traced to a snapped 330-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in the swampy forest of Igumale, Benue State.
In an update on Wednesday, Mbah revealed that TCN’s linesmen discovered the fault around 5 p.m., describing it as one span of the Ugwuaji–Apir double circuit transmission line.
“A team of linesmen from TCN discovered the fault on the Ugwuaji–Apir 330kV double circuit transmission line in the Igumale area of Benue State,” she said.
Efforts are now underway to mobilise equipment and materials to the site to begin repairs.
Mbah explained, “Due to the difficult and swampy nature of the terrain, TCN would need to move a bulldozer and other materials from the Enugu Regional office to the site.”
She added that a Hiab vehicle would also be moved to Igumale to properly tension the transmission line.
Previous attempts by two separate teams to identify the cause of the outage were unsuccessful until the discovery on Wednesday.
Mbah reassured the public of TCN’s commitment to resolving the issue swiftly, stating that repair work is scheduled to start on Thursday. She also thanked the government and electricity consumers for their patience during the outage.