TCN plans network upkeep, blackout affects Kano and four additional states

Residents and businesses in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Yobe states are bracing for a temporary loss of electricity on Sunday due to scheduled maintenance by the Transmission Company of Nigeria aimed at bolstering the national grid.

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria, or TCN, announced the planned disruption in a statement released on Friday by spokesperson Ndidi Mbah, revealing that the outage will also impact Gazaoua in the Niger Republic.

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The maintenance work is necessary due to upgrades being carried out at the Kumbotso 330-kilovolt transmission substation, which is intended to enhance power reliability and boost transmission capacity.

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Specifically, the maintenance will allow TCN's contractor to proceed with the upgrade of the 330kV Bus II jumpers and swap existing 350mm² conductors with higher-capacity 800mm² conductors as part of a broader effort to fortify the transmission network.

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As a consequence of the maintenance, electricity distribution companies serving the affected regions will be unable to receive power for distribution to their customers during the maintenance period.

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The affected companies include the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, or KEDCO, as well as parts of Jos Electricity Distribution Company, or JEDC, and Yola Electricity Distribution Company, or YEDC, which will be unable to distribute power to customers in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states, as well as Azare in Bauchi State, Nguru in Yobe State, and Gazaoua in the Niger Republic.

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TCN has assured customers that the temporary disruption is a necessary step to complete critical infrastructure upgrades designed to improve the stability and reliability of electricity supply in the affected regions.