- A truck collision with Tower T16 in Kano caused a power outage affecting the Jigawa and Yobe State communities.
- TCN urgently works to repair the damaged tower and restore power to the affected regions.
On Sunday, August 11, 2024, a container trailer truck collided with Tower T16 of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Gunduwawa Village, Gezawa local government area, Kano State. The collision severely damaged the tower and caused a power outage that affected several communities in neighbouring Jigawa and Yobe States.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 9:28 a.m., caused the Kano–Hadejia 132kV Transmission Line to trip, causing about 16.6MW of power loss. According to Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, the initial attempt to re-close the line and maintain the power supply was unsuccessful. TCN quickly dispatched a patrol team to assess the situation.
They discovered that the impact had destroyed two legs of the tower, causing it to buckle and collapse. The fallen tower disrupted the power supply and damaged a nearby residential building. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The incident has led to a widespread blackout in areas including Hadejia, Gumel, Gagarawa, Nguru, Mallammadori, Birniwa, Kafin-Hausa, Auyo, Guri, Kaugama, Taura, Garki, Maigatari, Babura, Kirikasamma, and Machina in Jigawa and Yobe States. These regions are currently without power as there is no alternative bulk supply for TCN’s Gagarawa and Hadejia substations.
In response, TCN has pledged to expedite the restoration of power. They have mobilised a contractor to begin reconstructing the damaged tower immediately. The contractor is expected to start work on-site on Monday, aiming to re-erect the tower and restart the transmission lines as quickly as possible. This swift response seeks to minimise disruption and restore electricity to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
TCN is working diligently to address the situation and has reported the incident to the Gezawa Divisional Police Station. The truck driver involved has been detained as part of the ongoing investigation. TCN’s commitment to resolving the issue underscores its dedication to ensuring that power supply is restored and that services are resumed efficiently for the affected communities.