Residents of some parts of Lagos State are set to endure prolonged blackouts as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) struggle with a major fault on a key transmission line. The disruption, which occurred on the Omotoso-Ikeja West 330-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, has led to a power reduction of 350 megawatts (MW), affecting some areas across the state. The organisation specialising in Electricity transmission disclosed the development in an official statement, attributing the outage to a snapped transmission line between Towers 420 and 422.
The fault has triggered widespread load-shedding across the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) franchise areas, disrupting both residential and commercial activities. Efforts are underway to rectify the problem, as the organisation’s engineers have been deployed to the site with the necessary materials to repair the damaged sections of the transmission line. The company has assured residents that repairs should be completed within three days, after which the entire Power Supply will be restored through the affected route.
Some residents express outrage over persistent light failures.
Despite these assurances, residents remain frustrated over the state’s recurrent electricity issues. The city, known for its high energy demands, has faced repeated outages throughout 2024, further exacerbating the hardships faced by households and businesses. The lack of a stable electricity supply has raised concerns over the efficiency of the nation’s power infrastructure, with many questioning whether enough is being done to prevent such disruptions in the future. Frustration has mounted among Lagos residents, with many taking to Social Media to voice their grievances over the prolonged outages.
Complaints range from the perceived inefficiency of electricity sector operators to accusations of preferential treatment for specific electricity consumers. As a result, some residents, using their X handle, claim that while the TCN blames the outage on transmission faults, customers classified under Band A—who typically receive a better electricity supply—have continued to enjoy uninterrupted power. Others have expressed skepticism over the explanations given, arguing that lower-tier customers have been consistently neglected while premium consumers receive prioritised service.
Impact on businesses and daily life as heatwave intensifies.
Meanwhile, the impact of the outage extends beyond domestic inconveniences, affecting businesses that rely heavily on electricity for operations. From small-scale enterprises to large corporations, the Disruption has led to financial losses, forcing many businesses to resort to alternative power sources such as diesel and petrol generators, which are increasingly expensive to run. In addition, the timing of the power cut exacerbated discomfort among the people in the affected area as the city experiences a period of extreme heat.
Many residents, already struggling with sweltering temperatures, have been left without cooling systems, worsening the situation in homes and workplaces. As residents await the promised repairs, uncertainty looms over how soon the full electricity supply will resume. The TCN has assured that its engineers are working relentlessly to fix the issue, but similar past incidents have raised doubts over whether the restoration timeline will be met. These challenges highlight deeper structural problems within the region’s electricity sector.
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In the meantime, residents of Lagos can only hope that the current outage will be resolved quickly and that measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents. As the heat continues to rise, the restoration of the electricity supply cannot come soon enough for the millions of people who rely on it for their daily lives and livelihoods. The Lagos State government and federal authorities must work together to address the power sector’s issues. This includes implementing policies that encourage Private Sector Investment in the power industry, improving regulatory frameworks, and promoting energy efficiency.