Electricity consumers across Nigeria could face rolling blackouts in the coming weeks as the Federal Government begins a phased shutdown of parts of the national grid to carry out long-overdue transmission upgrades, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has confirmed.
The disruption has already begun in the North-East, where at least four states Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, and Yobe are currently experiencing widespread outages due to a planned intervention by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The blackout, which began on Tuesday and is expected to last until Saturday, is aimed at linking a newly constructed 330kV substation in Bauchi to the national grid.
In a video statement released on Wednesday, NISO Managing Director Abdu Mohammed described the outage as “a necessary inconvenience” and part of a broader, nationwide maintenance strategy to overhaul the country’s fragile power infrastructure.
“This planned outage is critical for enhancing power delivery in the North-East corridor, which has struggled with unreliable electricity for years,” Mohammed said. “The project being executed now is only the beginning. Other regions should also expect similar outages in the near future as we roll out improvements across the grid.”
The specific project involves constructing a turn-in-turn-out segment along the 330kV Jos–Bauchi–Gombe transmission line, allowing the new Bauchi substation to be integrated into the existing network. Once completed, authorities say the new configuration will not only improve supply to Bauchi and surrounding states but also increase overall transmission stability in the region.
While the work is ongoing, power supply to many communities in the affected states will be significantly reduced. In some areas, including Yola and Jalingo the capital cities of Adamawa and Taraba respectively residents have been plunged into complete darkness.
According to TCN’s spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, limited electricity is still being supplied to parts of Gombe and Biu through alternative sources such as the Dadin-Kowa Hydro Power Plant and the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant. However, the situation remains dire in areas entirely dependent on the affected transmission corridor.
“In the course of this work, there will be a temporary reduction in bulk electricity supply to Jos and Yola Electricity Distribution Companies, affecting customers in Bauchi, Gombe, Ashaka, Savannah, Damaturu/Potiskum, and Biu,” Mbah explained in a separate statement. “However, only Yola and Jalingo will be in total blackout during the five-day repair window.”
The construction effort includes the installation of a new transmission tower that will allow greater flexibility in rerouting electricity during faults or maintenance periods. Once completed, Jos will be able to directly supply Bauchi through a 132kV line, bypassing Gombe if needed an arrangement designed to boost grid resilience.
NISO emphasized that while the temporary blackouts are frustrating, the long-term goal is to deliver a more reliable and stable power supply nationwide. “It’s a trade-off,” Mohammed said. “We are asking customers and distribution companies to bear with us while this work is done. We are confident the benefits will outweigh the inconvenience.”
He also revealed that this is only the first phase of a rolling series of grid interventions planned across the country throughout the year.
“As soon as the project in the North-East is completed, we will begin similar infrastructure upgrades in other zones,” he said. “This is part of a broader strategy to address the chronic underperformance that has plagued Nigeria’s power sector for decades.”
Despite public frustration, both NISO and TCN say the coordinated outages are being carefully managed to minimize nationwide disruptions and ensure that at least partial supply is maintained in many affected areas.
The current maintenance window is expected to end on Saturday, June 14, when normal supply to the North-East is scheduled to resume though the nationwide grid overhaul is just getting started.
