TCN Faults IKEDC Over Attribution of Band A Outages to Grid Instability

TCN Faults IKEDC Over Attribution of Band A Outages to Grid Instability

By Our Reporter

Abuja (Core Reporters) The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has faulted Ikeja Electric (IKEDC) for attributing recent outages affecting some Band A feeders to grid instability, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.

TCN, in a statement issued on Friday, November 6, said the attribution of the outages recorded on November 3 and 4, 2026, to the transmission company was not supported by verified operational records.

The company maintained that determining the root causes of disturbances, supply shortfalls and interruptions on the national grid falls within the statutory responsibilities of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), not electricity distribution companies.

Citing Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, TCN said IKEDC and other market participants lacked the authority to independently determine the causes of grid disturbances.

It added that NISO had not issued any report attributing the outages identified in IKEDC’s notice to TCN.

The transmission company also referred to NISO’s public clarification of November 5, which attributed the decline in electricity supply to constraints in gas availability to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric plants due to lower reservoir inflows.

According to TCN, the reduction in generation has affected the volume of electricity available for allocation to distribution companies, resulting in fewer hours of supply and increased load shedding across distribution networks.

It explained that the impact on individual distribution companies depends on available generation and their respective allocations.

TCN insisted that the supply shortfall experienced by IKEDC customers was a consequence of reduced power generation and subsequent allocation, rather than any failure of its transmission network.

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

Providing further details from its operational records, TCN said 68 per cent of interruptions recorded across feeders supplying IKEDC on November 1 and 2 resulted from frequency-control load shedding occasioned by low generation.

It said another 26 per cent were attributable to IKEDC’s failure to comply with load allocations issued by NISO’s National Control Centre (NCC), or faults and maintenance activities on the distribution company’s network.

The remaining six per cent, according to TCN, involved planned maintenance, switching operations or line limitations on its transmission network.

It stressed that none of the recorded interruptions resulted from TCN equipment faults or trips.

Addressing the specific feeders mentioned in IKEDC’s notice, the company said that out of 46 interruptions recorded on the affected 33kV feeders, 29 were caused by frequency-control load shedding resulting from low generation.

Fourteen interruptions were attributed to IKEDC, comprising nine cases of non-compliance with allocated load and five incidents involving faults or trips on its distribution network.

The remaining three interruptions were linked to scheduled TCN maintenance on the Ogba-Alimosho line on November 1.

TCN also cited the Rack Centre feeder as an example, explaining that its interruption on November 2 resulted from a cable fault on IKEDC’s network, which was subsequently repaired by the distribution company’s personnel.

It further noted that IKEDC’s own public notice attributed faults on some feeders, including MTN, Iju Water Works and Rack Centre, to the distribution company under the designation “IE”.

TCN said IKEDC’s position was inconsistent with the actual state of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), warning that attributing generation-related supply shortfalls to transmission failures could mislead consumers, undermine public confidence and divert attention from the industry’s real challenges.

The company therefore urged IKEDC and other distribution companies to desist from making unverified claims about the causes of electricity supply interruptions.

It advised DisCos to obtain accurate information from NISO, which it described as the statutory body responsible for the operation of the national grid.

TCN also encouraged electricity consumers to consult NISO’s official communication platforms for accurate updates on developments in the electricity industry.

While sympathising with customers affected by the reduced hours of electricity supply, the company reaffirmed its commitment to transmitting all available energy safely, reliably and efficiently within prevailing operational constraints.

It added that it would continue working with NISO, generation companies and distribution companies to improve electricity supply across the country.