Nationwide Blackout Looms as FG Begins Critical Power Grid Maintenance

Planned outages hit North-East states as part of FG’s phased national grid overhaul, with more regions set to face temporary blackouts in the coming months.

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Electricity consumers across Nigeria should brace for extended periods of power disruptions as the Federal Government intensifies strategic maintenance on the national grid, a move officials say is aimed at revitalising the country’s aging transmission infrastructure.

This development was confirmed by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), which oversees the coordination of electricity supply nationwide. The ongoing outage currently affecting Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, and Yobe states is the first phase of a series of grid upgrades expected to impact other regions in the coming months.

In a video message released on Wednesday, the Managing Director of NISO, Abdu Mohammed, said the maintenance, which includes the construction of a “turn-in-turn-out” segment on the 330kV Jos–Bauchi–Gombe line, is essential to improving electricity supply reliability and quality.

“The outage in the northeastern states is a planned one, for infrastructure improvements by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN),” Mohammed explained. “This project is a necessary step toward improving electricity services in areas that have suffered from poor supply for years.”

The new substation in Bauchi, which will connect to the national grid through the ongoing construction, is expected to serve as a relief point for many consumers once completed. Power supply in these regions has been epileptic due to outdated infrastructure and weak grid resilience.

Residents of Yola and Jalingo—the capital cities of Adamawa and Taraba states—have already been plunged into total darkness since Tuesday. The TCN has confirmed that the blackout is part of a five-day planned outage to facilitate major transmission upgrades.

TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said in a statement that while some parts of the North-East will receive minimal supply through the Dadin-Kowa Hydro Power Plant and Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant, Yola and Jalingo will experience complete outages until Saturday, June 14.

She added that the Jos and Yola Electricity Distribution Companies will also experience a reduction in bulk supply, which will affect customers in Bauchi, Gombe, Damaturu, Ashaka, Biu, Potiskum, and Savannah.

“The upgrade will allow the Bauchi and Gombe substations to serve as mutual backups in emergencies. Jos will also be able to supply Bauchi directly via a 132kV line when the 330kV connection is down,” she noted.

The planned outages are part of a nationwide project that NISO says will be rolled out in phases to avoid a complete collapse of supply. Abdu Mohammed explained that although the outages may be uncomfortable for citizens, they are designed to ultimately strengthen the power sector.

“This is a long-term project, and we urge consumers to bear with us. We are executing these upgrades in phases to avoid nationwide disruptions, and once the work is done in one area, the crew will move to another,” Mohammed said.

Power sector analysts say the project is overdue, as the national grid has recorded frequent collapses over the years, often leaving millions of Nigerians without electricity for hours or even days.

Nigeria’s grid currently operates below capacity, hovering around 4,000MW generation—far below the estimated 30,000MW demand. The inefficiencies stem largely from inadequate transmission infrastructure, poor planning, and legacy debt across the value chain.

“This kind of proactive intervention, although painful in the short term, is necessary if we are to attain a stable and modern grid system,” said Adeyemi Adeniran, an Abuja-based energy consultant. “However, transparency and scheduling must be prioritised so people can plan around outages.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Power has not released a full schedule of the planned nationwide maintenance, leaving consumers uncertain about when their regions may be affected. Distribution companies are also yet to issue detailed advisories to customers on alternative arrangements.

As Nigeria strives toward improved energy access and reliability, the ongoing grid maintenance is a litmus test for the government’s commitment to reforming the power sector. With mounting public frustration over erratic power supply and rising electricity tariffs, the Federal Government must ensure that these infrastructure investments translate into real, measurable improvements for the average consumer.

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