TCN Declares Force Majeure After Three Towers Collapse on Kebbi-Niamey Line

Following severe weather conditions that brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Chibike Village in Kebbi State, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) invoked a force majeure declaration on its 132-kilovolt transmission line running between Birnin Kebbi and Niamey. Three transmission towers—T109, T110, and T111—collapsed during the August 26, 2026 weather event, triggering the legal provision.

At 5:38 p.m. on August 26, the power line went down. TCN made an attempt at 6:03 p.m. to restore service through trial reclosure, but the line immediately tripped once more.

This prompted technicians to conduct a fault-finding patrol. Their investigation revealed structural damage from three downed towers, establishing that physical failure of the infrastructure—rather than an electrical malfunction—had caused the outage.

By invoking force majeure, a contractual mechanism that exempts parties from obligations when events beyond reasonable control interfere with performance, TCN can proceed with repairs without facing liability exposure. This protection allows the utility to undertake rehabilitation activities without penalty, though no specific timeline for completion has been communicated in statements released so far.

The disruption affects power flowing across borders to Niger Republic, which relies on this transmission route to receive electricity imports. Restoration of the line remains a priority as TCN mobilizes resources for the rehabilitation process.

The incident highlights how vulnerable transmission infrastructure proves to be when confronted with extreme weather patterns common to the Sahel region.