The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says a severe rainstorm has led to the collapse of a transmission tower on the Ikeja west–Osogbo 330 kilovolt (kV) line in Lagos.
In a statement on Sunday, Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s general manager for public affairs, said the incident, which occurred on April 16, amounted to a force majeure event.
Force majeure is a contractual clause that frees a company from liability when an unexpected and uncontrollable event, such as war, pandemic or natural disasters, prevents it from fulfilling obligations.
It legally shields companies against liability, allowing contract suspension or termination without penalties
Mbah said the transmission line tripped during the storm after a fault was detected about 14.9 kilometres from the Ikeja west (Ayobo) end of the corridor.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) wishes to inform the public that a force majeure has occurred on the Ikeja West–Osogbo 330kV transmission line following a severe rainstorm on Thursday, 16 April 2026,” the statement reads.
“The line tripped during the storm, due to fault, which was detected at approximately 14.9km from the Ikeja West (Ayobo) end of the transmission line.”
According to her, further inspection by maintenance teams revealed that Tower 515 collapsed during the storm, with the structure failing at its midsection.
Mbah said TCN has commenced mobilising materials and personnel for the re-erection of the tower, while engineers are already working to dismantle the damaged structure.
She added that efforts are ongoing to restore flexibility and redundancy along the transmission corridor, noting that an alternative line remains in service to evacuate bulk power.
The spokesperson assured that the company will continue to provide updates as repair works progress.