Transmission Outages Reduce Power Supply to Major Cities

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) reported that recent reductions in electricity allocations to Distribution Companies serving Lagos, Abuja, and northern Nigeria were due to multiple transmission line outages. These outages constrained the capacity of the national grid, prompting NISO to adjust generation dispatch and power allocations to ensure safe operation of the remaining transmission network and prevent wider disturbances.

NISO clarified that the changes were not due to a shortage of generation but rather transmission constraints. The operator emphasized that sufficient electricity generation alone does not guarantee supply, as the transmission network must also have adequate capacity.

Specific transmission lines affected included the Olorunsogo-Ayede 330kV Line 1, Benin-Egbin 330kV Line 1, and Benin-Omotosho 330kV Line 1, with the Osogbo-Ikeja West circuit also out of service. Consequently, allocations to Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, and the Sakete international supply were curtailed based on the network configuration and system-security requirements.