TCN faults Ikeja Electric, blames outages on low generation

The Transmission Company of Nigeria has faulted Ikeja Electric over its attribution of recent electricity supply interruptions to grid instability.

TCN insisted that gas supply constraints to thermal power plants and reduced hydroelectric generation were responsible for the decline in power available to distribution companies.

It described the electricity distribution company’s explanation as inaccurate and misleading, saying it wrongly blamed the transmission network for supply shortfalls caused by inadequate power generation.

In a statement signed by its management on Friday, the transmission company said Ikeja Electric’s public notice published on November 5 attributed several Band A feeder outages recorded on November 3 and 4 to grid instability and identified TCN as the responsible party.

It argued that the distribution company lacked the authority to determine the causes of disturbances on the national grid, citing Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, which it said placed that responsibility within the functions of the Nigerian Independent System Operator.

The statement read, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria has noted the Public Notice published by Ikeja Electric on 5th November 2026, in which several Band A feeder outages recorded on 3rd and 4th November 2026 were attributed to ‘grid instability’ and assigned to TCN as the responsible party.”

TCN said NISO had not attributed the outages to any failure of its transmission network.

Rather, it said NISO’s clarification issued on November 5 identified constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric plants due to lower reservoir inflows as the reasons for declining electricity generation.

The transmission company explained that the reduced generation had lowered the quantity of electricity available for allocation to distribution companies, resulting in fewer hours of supply and increased load shedding across their networks.

It said, “TCN can only transmit the energy made available to it and cannot transmit energy that is not generated.”

The company maintained that the supply shortfall experienced by Ikeja Electric customers was a consequence of reduced generation and the resulting allocation, rather than a failure of the national transmission network.

To support its position, TCN presented figures on interruptions recorded on feeders supplying Ikeja Electric, saying 68 per cent were frequency-control load shedding caused by low generation.

It attributed another 26 per cent to Ikeja Electric’s alleged failure to comply with load allocations issued by NISO’s National Control Centre, as well as faults and maintenance work on the distribution company’s network.

The remaining six per cent, according to TCN, resulted from its planned maintenance, switching operations or line limitations.

It insisted that none of the recorded interruptions was caused by equipment failure or a trip on its network.

For the 33-kilovolt feeders listed in Ikeja Electric’s notice, TCN said 29 of the 46 interruptions were caused by frequency-control load shedding arising from low generation.

It attributed 14 interruptions to Ikeja Electric, comprising nine cases of non-compliance with load allocation and five faults or trips on the company’s network.

The remaining three were linked to scheduled TCN maintenance on the Ogba-Alimosho line.

TCN also cited the Rack Centre feeder, which it said was interrupted on November 2 by a cable fault on Ikeja Electric’s network and subsequently repaired by the distribution company’s crew.

It added that Ikeja Electric’s own notice had attributed faults on some feeders, including MTN, Iju Water Works and Rack Centre, to the distribution company.

However, TCN’s breakdown refers to records for November 1 and 2, while Ikeja Electric’s notice, as described by TCN, concerned outages recorded on November 3 and 4.

The difference in the dates requires clarification.

“IKEDC’s position is therefore out of step with the true state of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. Attributing shortfalls caused by generation constraints to TCN misinforms customers, undermines public confidence and obscures the real challenges that all stakeholders must work together to resolve.

“TCN therefore urges IKEDC and all other DisCos to desist forthwith from making unfounded claims about the causes of supply shortfalls to their customers. DisCos should communicate based on verified information from NISO, the body responsible for the operation of the grid,” the report added.

The disagreement comes amid persistent challenges in electricity generation and supply, with constraints affecting gas-fired power stations and lower hydroelectric output reducing the amount of electricity available to consumers.

TCN urged distribution companies to rely on verified information from NISO when explaining supply interruptions to customers, warning that assigning generation-related shortfalls to the transmission company could mislead consumers and undermine public confidence.

It said it sympathised with customers experiencing reduced supply and remained committed to transmitting all available electricity safely and efficiently, while working with NISO, generation companies and distribution firms to improve the situation.