Residents of six northern states will experience a temporary power outage this weekend following a planned maintenance exercise by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The affected states are Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba, with major cities including Bauchi, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola and Jalingo expected to be impacted.
In a statement issued on Saturday, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the blackout is necessary to enable the installation of an Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) on the 330kV Jos–Bauchi–Gombe single-circuit transmission line at the Bauchi 330/132/33kV transmission substation.
According to the company, the maintenance work will affect bulk electricity supply to the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) and the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), preventing both distribution companies from supplying electricity to customers in the affected areas during the exercise.
“As a result, Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) will be unable to off-take electricity for onward delivery to customers in Bauchi, Gombe, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Yola, Jalingo and their environs,” the statement read.
TCN assured residents that the outage is temporary and that electricity supply will be restored immediately after the installation work is completed.
“Please note that bulk power supply will be restored immediately after the exercise,” the company added.
The planned outage is part of ongoing efforts by TCN to strengthen the nation’s transmission infrastructure and improve the reliability and efficiency of electricity supply across the country.