Residents, business owners, hospital administrators, and others in Northern Nigeria have expressed concern as the region marks its eighth consecutive days without electricity, leading to significant disruptions in essential services and economic activities.
The outage, which began last Monday, was triggered by the tripping off of the 330kV circuit transmission line between Benue and Enugu, as well as the one between Shiroro and Kaduna, thereby severely impacting numerous Northern states.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the 330kV DC Ugwaji-Apir double circuit tripped due to a fault, plunging the Northeast, Northwest, and parts of Northcentral Nigeria into darkness.
Hospitals and laboratories, heavily reliant on stable electricity for medical equipment and diagnostic services, are facing increasing difficulties, resulting in delays and reduced healthcare availability for patients.
Local businesses, particularly frozen food vendors that depend on refrigerators, are also feeling the strain, with many reporting significant losses due to spoiled inventory.
Water vendors have dramatically increased their prices, effectively doubling the cost of water as they contend with the added expenses of running generators for boreholes.
Vandals have also reportedly taken advantage of the situation, targeting transformers and other power infrastructure, which further complicates efforts to restore service.
TCN has acknowledged the ongoing outage, assuring residents that they are taking “every possible measure” to restore power to the Northern region.
The company attributed delays in restoration to infrastructure challenges exacerbated by vandalism and insecurity, which have created additional setbacks in the recovery process.
This latest fault in the 330kV DC transmission line occurred just days after Nigeria experienced three national grid collapses within a single week.
In 2024, Nigeria faced multiple national grid disturbances, resulting in widespread power outages and reduced electricity generation.
