Blackout Affects Five Northern Nigerian States and Niger

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced a blackout impacting five northern Nigerian states—Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Yobe—as well as part of the Niger Republic. This outage is due to annual maintenance on the Kumbotso 330kV transmission line, scheduled for Sunday, May 31, 2026.

TCN's spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, stated that the blackout is necessary to allow maintenance crews to repair damage to the red phase conductor tower T187 along the line route. Consequently, the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) will be unable to supply electricity to its customers in the affected areas, including parts of Niger Republic.

The maintenance is expected to last from 9 AM to 4 PM, although the exact time for power restoration was not explicitly stated.