Four out of the six states in Nigeria's North-East geopolitical zone have been plunged into total darkness following a planned power outage that began on Tuesday, June 10, at 10:00 am.
The blackout, affecting Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, is expected to continue until Saturday, June 14, at 5:00 pm, severely disrupting business activities across the affected regions.
Critical Infrastructure Upgrade
According to the management of Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), the outage is necessary to enable the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to carry out essential upgrade works on key transmission infrastructure. The maintenance project includes work on the Jos-Gombe 330kV and Jos-Bauchi-Gombe 132kV transmission lines, as well as the installation of new towers at the Bauchi 330kV station and the crossing of an existing 132kV line.
Key areas currently experiencing total blackout include Damaturu, Molai, Yola, and Jalingo, along with their respective injection substations.
Alternative Power Arrangements
To mitigate the impact of the outage, TCN and YEDC have arranged alternative supply routes for some areas. "Biu will receive power from the Dadi Kowa Hydro plant, while Maiduguri's Baga Road substation will be back-fed from the MEPP facility. Nguru, Machina, and surrounding areas will be powered through the 33kV Nguru feeder," YEDC stated.
The electricity distribution company emphasized that the transmission line upgrade is a TCN-led initiative aimed at enhancing regional power reliability. They assured residents that power supply would be restored as soon as TCN confirms the completion of the works.
YEDC has expressed appreciation for the public's patience and understanding during this planned disruption, acknowledging the inconvenience caused to residents and businesses in the affected states.
The power outage comes at a challenging time for the region, which has been grappling with various socio-economic issues in recent years.
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