TCN declares Force Majeure as three towers collapse on Birnin Kebbi–Niamey line

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has declared Force Majeure on the 132kV Birnin Kebbi–Niamey Transmission Line after three transmission towers collapsed following heavy rain and windstorm at Chibike Village.

The company disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the line tripped at 17:38hrs on August 26, 2026.

According to the company, a trial reclosure conducted at 18:03hrs was unsuccessful as the line tripped again immediately.

Force Majeure is a contractual and legal provision that may excuse a party from certain obligations when extraordinary circumstances beyond its reasonable control prevent performance.

What TCN is saying

TCN said a fault-finding patrol subsequently identified the collapsed structures as towers T109, T110 and T111, disrupting bulk electricity transmission to Niamey through the affected line.

• “Following the incident, TCN linesmen embarked on a fault-finding patrol and discovered that three towers, T109, T110 and T111, had collapsed at Chibike Village. The collapse was caused by heavy rain and windstorm experienced in the area,” the company said.

TCN said it had mobilised personnel and resources to the site to begin rehabilitation work and restore the transmission line as soon as possible.

• “We regret the inconvenience this may cause to our customers in Niamey and assure that every effort is being made to restore normal supply promptly,” TCN added.

Get up to speed

The incident comes as TCN continues to contend with weather-related damage to transmission infrastructure during the rainy season.

• In July, the company declared Force Majeure on the Oworonshoki 132/33kV and Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substations after flooding linked to persistent rainfall in Lagos.

TCN has also carried out planned maintenance across its network.

• In March 2026, it announced that communities in parts of Niger State, as well as areas between Gombe and Borno states, would experience temporary electricity interruptions during maintenance activities.

The collapse of the three towers means the affected transmission corridor cannot currently provide its normal bulk electricity transfer to Niamey.

The duration of the disruption will depend on how quickly TCN can rehabilitate the damaged structures and safely restore the line.

What you should know

In March, some communities in parts of Niger State and regions between Gombe and Borno states faced blackouts as TCN began maintenance operations.

• In June 2025, the TCN commenced construction of a turn-in-turn-out (TITO) connection in the northern region, specifically along the 330kV Jos–Bauchi–Gombe transmission line.

During the construction period, the Gombe and Biu transmission substations continued to receive power through the Dadin-Kowa Hydro Power Plant and the Maiduguri Substation.

TCN had in December 2024 boosted power supply in the Lekki corridor with the commissioning of a 1×60/75 MVA 132/33kV power transformer at the 330/132/33kV Lekki Transmission Substation in Lagos State.