TCN declares force majeure as storm collapses three towers on Birnin Kebbi-Niamey line
0
0
TCN declares force majeure as storm collapses three towers on Birnin Kebbi-Niamey line
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has declared a force majeure on the 132kV Birnin Kebbi-Niamey transmission line following the collapse of three transmission towers in Kebbi State.
The company disclosed this in a statement signed by its management on Friday, explaining that the affected towers, identified as T109, T110 and T111, collapsed at Chibike village following heavy rainfall and a windstorm in the area.
According to the statement, the transmission line tripped at about 5:38pm on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
It said a trial reclosure was subsequently carried out at 6:03pm in an attempt to restore the line, but the line tripped instantly.
READ ALSO: Why I’m contesting for FCT Senate — PRP candidate
“Following the incident, TCN linesmen embarked on a fault-finding patrol and discovered that three towers, T109, T110 and T111, had collapsed at Chibike village.
“The collapse was caused by heavy rain and windstorm experienced in the area,” the statement said.
TCN said the incident had affected the transmission of bulk electricity to Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, through the affected line.
The company, however, said it had immediately mobilised personnel and resources to the affected location to commence rehabilitation work on the collapsed infrastructure.
It assured that all necessary measures were being deployed to restore the transmission line to service as quickly as possible.
“TCN has mobilised personnel and resources to the site and will ensure that all hands are on deck to facilitate the speedy rehabilitation of the collapsed towers and return the line to service in the shortest possible time,” the company said.
The transmission company expressed regret over the disruption caused by the incident, particularly to electricity consumers in Niamey, and assured that efforts were ongoing to restore normal power transmission.
“We regret the inconvenience this may cause to our customers in Niamey and assure that every effort is being made to restore normal supply promptly,” TCN stated.
The Birnin Kebbi-Niamey transmission line is part of the power infrastructure through which electricity is transmitted from Nigeria to Niger Republic, making its disruption significant to bulk power supply to the neighbouring country.
The force majeure declaration comes amid renewed efforts by TCN to strengthen the reliability and resilience of Nigeria’s transmission network against weather-related and other infrastructure challenges.
