A significant portion of Nigeria’s North-East region has been plunged into complete blackout following the shutdown of power transmission lines by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN.
The power outage, which began at 10am on Tuesday, June 10, will continue until 5pm on Saturday, June 14, 2025, as indicated in a memo from TCN’s Bauchi Regional Operations Manager, Engr. J.O. Joseph, who also explained that the outage is to facilitate the erection of new 330kV Turn-In and Turn-Out towers as part of upgrades to the Bauchi substation.
These upgrades require crossing the existing 132kV Jos-Bauchi-Gombe transmission line, necessitating a complete power cut in several areas.
The blackout is affecting six key states — Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi, and Gombe. Communities such as Yola, Jalingo, Damaturu, and Molai are facing total outages.
However, limited electricity is being routed to Biu and parts of Gombe through the Dadin Kowa Hydro Power Plant, while Maiduguri is receiving emergency supply via the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project. Smaller areas such as Nguru and Machina are being served by the 33kV Nguru feeder.
The Yola Electricity Distribution Company has confirmed widespread disruption across its network, which includes numerous injection substations.
Meanwhile, Jos Electricity Distribution Plc has attributed the blackout in Bauchi and Gombe to limited allocation from TCN and ongoing construction activities along the critical 330kV line.
READ ALSO: Electricity workers threaten blackout in North Central States
“Gombe is currently supplied through a mix of the 132kV Jos-Bauchi-Gombe line and the Dadin Kowa Hydro Station,” JED noted. “But these are insufficient to meet the state’s demand, leading to unavoidable load shedding, even at industrial hubs like Ashaka Cement Plant.”
JED has appealed to residents for patience and urged communities to protect electricity infrastructure from vandalism during the outage period.
This blackout is the second major outage to hit the North-East in less than a year. In October 2024, 17 northern states experienced a prolonged power cut after the tripping of the 330kV Ugwaji–Apir transmission lines, which disrupted 468 megawatts of power and took nearly two weeks to fully restore.
A retired TCN engineer, speaking anonymously, explained that the region’s vulnerability stems from its reliance on a single major transmission route.
“The 132kV Jos-Bauchi-Gombe line is the lifeline of the entire North-East,” he said. “When maintenance or faults occur, the region is left in complete darkness.”
He also disclosed that discussions are ongoing between the federal government and the World Bank to fund a double transmission line project that could provide redundancy, but no final agreement has been reached yet.
Until such infrastructure is in place, the North-East remains exposed to extended blackouts during critical upgrade periods, disrupting businesses, livelihoods, and daily life for millions.
Sahara Reporters
