TCN Faults Ikeja Electric Over Attribution Of Power Outages To Grid Instability
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TCN Faults Ikeja Electric Over Attribution Of Power Outages To Grid Instability
By INCNews247
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has faulted Ikeja Electric over its attribution of recent power outages in its distribution network to grid instability, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.
TCN said the outages recorded on November 3 and 4, 2026, were largely caused by reduced electricity generation arising from gas supply constraints to thermal power plants and lower water inflows into hydroelectric stations.
The company stated this in a statement signed by its management on Friday, November 6, in response to a public notice issued by Ikeja Electric on November 5, which attributed several outages affecting its Band A feeders to grid instability and blamed TCN.
TCN argued that Ikeja Electric lacked the authority to determine the root causes of disturbances and interruptions on the national grid, citing Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, which assigns such responsibilities to the Nigerian Independent System Operator.
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According to the transmission company, NISO had already clarified that the decline in electricity generation was responsible for the reduction in energy allocated to distribution companies, resulting in fewer hours of supply and increased load shedding across their networks.
It maintained that the electricity supply shortfall experienced by Ikeja Electric customers was a consequence of reduced generation and subsequent allocation, rather than any failure of TCN’s transmission network.
“TCN can only transmit the energy made available to it and cannot transmit energy that is not generated,” the company stated.
Providing a breakdown of interruptions across feeders supplying Ikeja Electric, TCN said 68 per cent of the outages recorded on November 1 and 2 resulted from frequency-control load shedding caused by low electricity generation.
It added that 26 per cent were attributable to Ikeja Electric’s failure to comply with load allocations issued by NISO’s National Control Centre or faults and maintenance works on its distribution network.
The company said the remaining six per cent resulted from TCN’s planned maintenance, switching operations or line limitations, stressing that none of the recorded interruptions was caused by TCN equipment failure or tripping.
Specifically, TCN said 29 of the 46 interruptions recorded on the 33kV feeders identified in Ikeja Electric’s notice were caused by frequency-control load shedding arising from low generation.
It explained that 14 interruptions were recorded against Ikeja Electric, comprising nine cases of non-compliance with allocated loads and five cases involving faults or trips on the company’s distribution network.
The remaining three interruptions, according to TCN, were linked to scheduled maintenance on the Ogba-Alimosho transmission line on November 1.
Citing another instance, TCN said the Rack Centre feeder interruption on November 2 resulted from a cable fault on Ikeja Electric’s network, which was subsequently repaired by the distribution company’s maintenance team.
It also noted that Ikeja Electric’s own public notice attributed faults affecting some feeders, including MTN, Iju Water Works and Rack Centre, to its distribution network.
TCN described Ikeja Electric’s attribution of the outages to the transmission network as inconsistent with the operational realities of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
The company warned that blaming TCN for supply shortfalls caused by generation constraints could mislead electricity consumers, undermine public confidence and divert attention from the actual challenges confronting the power sector.
It urged Ikeja Electric and other distribution companies to desist from making unverified claims about the causes of electricity supply interruptions, advising them to rely on information from NISO, which it described as the authorised body responsible for grid operations.
TCN also advised electricity consumers to consult NISO’s official platforms for accurate updates on developments in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
While expressing sympathy with customers affected by reduced electricity supply hours, the company reaffirmed its commitment to transmitting all available energy safely, reliably and efficiently.
It added that it would continue working with NISO, generation companies and distribution companies to improve electricity supply within prevailing operational constraints.
