Abuja — The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) at the weekend launched a 110mva power transformer to raise electricity supply to critical areas within its network, including Airport Road, Ajao Estate, Isolo Local Council, PTC, Afprint, Idi-Araba, Aswani, and Pure Hygiene.
Speaking at the event in Lagos, TCN's Managing Director, Abdulaziz Sule, said the power transformer at the Isolo 132/33KV Transmission Substation, marked a significant achievement in the TCN's ongoing efforts to expand and enhance the nation's transmission grid.
The project sponsored by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Service Level Agreement (SLA), Sule said, was a testament to TCN's unwavering commitment to strengthening Nigeria's transmission network despite the many challenges.
"The 110mva power transformer was successfully energised on December 20, 2024, contributing an additional 88mw to the substation's capacity, bringing it to a total of 184mw. This enhancement significantly boosts the sub-station's ability to provide improved electricity supply to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).
"As a result, IKEDC will be able to transmit more power to critical areas within its network, including Airport Road, Ajao Estate, Isolo Local Council, PTC, Afprint, Idi-Araba, Aswani, and Pure Hygiene. This will lead to enhanced power availability and reliability for both residential and commercial consumers in these areas," he stated.
Other communities primed to benefit from the project include: LUTH,/Idi Araba, Mushin, Ilasa community, Oshodi/Cappa, among others.
In his remarks, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said that beyond enhancing electricity supply, the project has broader implications for the economy through direct impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large industries.
He added that it will lead to reduction in operational challenges caused by power shortages, fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities, and driving local and regional development, particularly in Lagos, a critical economic hub of our nation.
"We can all agree that our successes have not been without challenges especially at the transmission segment of the value chain. Last year, we recorded frequent grid disturbances and dip in supply level due to various reported factors which include aging infrastructure, resource limitations, capacity inadequacy across the value chain, and predominantly the consistent vandalism experienced on the transmission networks across the country," he said.
Meanwhile, the TCN yesterday announced that over 18 of its transmission towers were vandalised between January 9 and 14, 2025, across Rivers, Abia, and Kano states.
General Manager of Transmission for the Port Harcourt Region,Emmanuel Okpa, reported that routine patrols by linesmen on January 10, 2025, uncovered damage to towers 171 through 181 and tower 184. On January 14, vandals targeted towers 146, 147, and 149 along the Owerri/Ahoada 132kV line in Rivers State, removing base brackets and compromising the stability of the towers.
In Abia State, Azuh Lucky, Head of the Lines Department for the Region, reported the theft of bolts, nuts, and structural members from towers 160 to 162 on the Alaoji/Umuahia 132kV line, which was under repair on January 13, 2025.
Meanwhile, in Kano, towers 105, 106, and 107 along the Katsina-Gazoua 132/33kV transmission line were critically damaged by vandals on January 9, 2025, compromising their structural integrity and risking collapse, a statement by the company's spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, said.
In the early hours of January 17, 2025, she said vandalised 132kV underground transmission cables were discovered by TCN engineers near Millennium Park in Abuja, a situation that affected power supply to the central area and its environs.
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"These incidents pose a significant challenge to our operations as a company. We have bolstered security measures, increased lines patrol, and the number of vigilante groups, and we are also collaborating with security operatives.
"However, we need and are appealing for the full support of every Nigerian, particularly those in communities hosting our installations. We must collectively recognise that the transmission network is our collective asset and essential for our socioeconomic development.
"The vandals and those who buy stolen materials are sabotaging the nation. All hands must be on deck to ensure the growth of the nation's power sector, which is critical to the development of our country
"TCN's grid expansion plans are under tremendous strain due to the persistent vandalism of its installations. The financial implications of constant repairs to vandalised transmission installations, along with the stress on the grid, are having adverse effects on TCNs grid expansion drive," the company added.
