By Gabriel Ameh
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has rejected claims by Ikeja Electric (IKEDC) that recent electricity outages affecting some Band A feeders were caused by grid instability, insisting that the disruptions were largely linked to declining power generation.
In a statement, TCN described Ikeja Electric’s public notice of November 5, 2026, which attributed several outages recorded on November 3 and 4 to grid instability, as inaccurate and misleading.
The transmission company maintained that the responsibility for determining the causes of disturbances and interruptions on the national grid rests with the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), not electricity distribution companies.
Citing Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, TCN said Ikeja Electric lacked the authority to independently determine the root causes of national grid disturbances.
It added that NISO had not issued any clarification attributing the outages identified by IKEDC to a failure of TCN’s transmission network.
According to TCN, NISO’s November 5 clarification identified inadequate gas supply to thermal power plants and reduced output from hydroelectric stations, resulting from lower reservoir inflows, as the major factors behind the current decline in electricity generation.
The reduced generation, TCN explained, had affected the amount of electricity available for distribution companies, resulting in fewer hours of supply and increased load shedding across distribution networks.
TCN stressed that its transmission network could only deliver electricity generated and made available to it, insisting that reduced power supply should not automatically be blamed on transmission infrastructure.
The company also presented operational records covering feeders supplying Ikeja Electric, saying 68 per cent of interruptions recorded on November 1 and 2 were frequency-control load shedding caused by low power generation.
It attributed another 26 per cent to Ikeja Electric’s failure to comply with load allocations issued by NISO’s National Control Centre, as well as faults and maintenance work on the distribution company’s network.
The remaining six per cent, according to TCN, involved its planned maintenance, switching operations and line limitations.
TCN further disclosed that none of the recorded interruptions resulted from a TCN equipment fault or trip.
Providing additional details on the 33kV feeders mentioned in Ikeja Electric’s notice, the company said 29 out of 46 recorded interruptions were caused by frequency-control load shedding linked to low generation.
Another 14 interruptions were attributed to Ikeja Electric, including nine cases of non-compliance with load allocation and five incidents involving faults or trips on its distribution network.
The remaining three interruptions were linked to scheduled TCN maintenance on the Ogba–Alimosho line on November 1.
TCN also cited the Rack Centre feeder as an example, explaining that an interruption on November 2 resulted from a cable fault on Ikeja Electric’s network, which the company’s maintenance crew subsequently repaired.
It added that Ikeja Electric’s own notice had attributed faults affecting some feeders, including MTN, Iju Water Works and Rack Centre, to its distribution network.
The transmission company warned that blaming generation-related supply shortages on transmission failures could mislead electricity consumers, undermine public confidence and distract attention from the actual challenges affecting the power sector.
It urged Ikeja Electric and other distribution companies to stop making unverified claims about the causes of electricity interruptions and rely on information officially provided by NISO.
TCN also advised electricity consumers to consult NISO’s official communication channels for accurate updates on developments within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
While expressing sympathy for customers experiencing reduced electricity supply, TCN reaffirmed its commitment to transmitting all available power safely and efficiently, while working with NISO, generation companies and distribution companies to improve electricity delivery.
Source: Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)
