The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has successfully restored full bulk power to its 132/33kV Apo Transmission Substation, effective Thursday, January 23, 2025.
This follows the successful completion of the relocation of eight 132kV and 33kV towers along the Kukwaba/Apo 132kV line, which was necessitated by the ongoing road dualization project by the Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA) along the Apo axis.
This development was announced by Ndidi Mbah the General manager, of Public Affairs, at TCN on Friday.
According to her, the relocation work, which began on Monday, January 6, 2025, involved a comprehensive two-week effort, including the dismantling and reconstruction of the towers and the restringing of power cables to ensure the continuation of power supply through the Southern Expressway route.
Relocation successful
“This restoration follows the successful relocation of eight 132kV and 33kV towers along the Kukwaba/Apo 132kV line (Southern Expressway route), necessitated by the Federal Capital Development Agency’s (FCDA) road dualization project along the Apo axis,” Mbah said.
With the successful restoration of full bulk power, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (Abuja DisCo) can now provide normal electricity supply to consumers in the affected areas, TCN noted.
This marks the end of the previous load rationing that was in place due to the disruption of power supply caused by the tower relocation process.
The company expressed its gratitude for the patience and understanding demonstrated by the affected electricity consumers during the period of temporary power restrictions.
Backstory
Nairametrics recently reported that residents in Abuja will experience a planned 15-day power outage, set to take place from Monday, January 6 to 20, 2025.
The announcement sparked widespread condemnation from several electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who voiced their concerns over the prolonged blackout that would leave them without power for two weeks.
- The outage, which is linked to necessary infrastructure work by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), was met with strong opposition from local communities and businesses alike.
- The outage impacted a significant portion of the FCT, with the Transmission Company indicating that there will be electricity rationing for Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) customers in several areas.
- These affected zones include Kubwa, Karu, Maraba, Nyanya, Masaka, Keffi, Kukwaba, and the Apo Mechanic area. Additionally, parts of Lugbe, Trademore Estate, Pyakasa, Sabon Lugbe, Chika, and the Alaita axis will also experience interruptions in power supply.
- As the news of the planned outage spread, the President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, expressed strong disapproval of the situation.
- Olubiyo raised concerns about the significant economic consequences of the power cuts, particularly for bulk electricity consumers, manufacturers, and small, medium, and large-scale enterprises (SMEs).
He warned that the power outage could lead to the loss of several billions of dollars in revenue during the 15-day period, as businesses in the affected areas will face operational disruptions and an inability to meet their production or service demands.
