Electricity supply to Lagos and its environs was disrupted on Thursday after a voltage instability on the national grid triggered transmission line outages and forced the shutdown of some generating stations, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said.
The incident occurred at about 8:19 a.m. when a sudden voltage fluctuation spread across the Lagos corridor, leading to the loss of generation, transmission disruptions, and widespread power outages in the nation’s commercial hub.
In a statement issued by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the National Control Centre immediately directed several power generators to reduce output to contain the resulting frequency rise, stabilise the grid, and prevent a wider system collapse.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, convened an emergency meeting with the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) to coordinate restoration efforts and address the underlying challenges.
TCN disclosed that one of the affected transmission routes, the Benin–Egbin 330kV line, which tripped during the incident, has already been restored and is currently transmitting bulk electricity to the Lagos area.
The company added that engineers from its Benin and Omotoso sub-regions are working to clear faults on the Benin–Omotoso 330kV transmission line, a critical infrastructure required for the full restoration of power supply to Lagos.
While apologising for the inconvenience caused to residents, businesses and other electricity consumers, TCN assured the public that the Ministry of Power and relevant agencies are working around the clock to restore normal operations and strengthen the grid against future disruptions.
“We deeply regret the inconvenience and discomfort this incident has caused. Our goal is to stabilise and strengthen the national grid while minimising the recurrence of such disruptions,” the statement said.
The company urged affected consumers to remain patient, assuring them that updates would be provided as restoration works progress.
(The Whistler)