Some parts of Kano and Kaduna states experience blackout due to vandalism
Kano and Kaduna states are facing power outages after vandals destroyed two towers belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The company’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Friday.
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The damaged towers, identified as T133 and T136, are located along the 330-kilovolt Shiroro-Kaduna lines 1 and 2. Mbah noted that TCN is currently planning to deploy a newly procured emergency restoration system to the site while preparations are made for the reconstruction of the affected towers.
According to Mbah, interim measures have already been implemented to restore bulk power supply to the affected regions. The statement detailed that “reports from the Shiroro Regional office of TCN indicate that the 330kV transmission line one tripped first, followed shortly by the second line. As efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line, local vigilantes were urgently mobilized to patrol the lines.”
This patrol led to the discovery of the damaged towers, with cables severely impacted at multiple points. TCN has since conducted an aerial survey in collaboration with security operatives due to the area’s vulnerability to banditry, which poses significant risks to both TCN installations and personnel.
In the interim, engineers have implemented temporary measures to supply bulk power to the Kaduna and Kano regions via the 330kV Kaduna-Jos transmission line. Mbah emphasized the importance of the Shiroro-Kaduna lines, stating, “These lines are vital for transmitting bulk power to parts of the North West region, with each line capable of carrying 600MW. The vandalism presents a significant challenge to bulk power transmission in that axis.”
She assured that TCN is committed to re-erecting the towers and restringing the transmission lines to restore bulk power transmission through both 330kV power lines. This disruption comes just days after the national grid experienced a collapse before being restored.
