By Garba Mohammed
Electricity consumers in Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, and Yobe states are set to experience weeks of disrupted power supply following the announcement of a scheduled outage on the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line.
In a public notice issued on Thursday, the Nigerian Independent System Operator said the outage will run from April 9 to May 22, 2026. The disruption will occur weekly from Thursday to Sunday, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
According to the agency, the outage is part of ongoing efforts to modernise the national grid through the installation of Optical Ground Wire fibre optic infrastructure along the Jos–Gombe transmission corridor.
The Managing Director of NISO, Abdu Muhammed
“The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform customers in the affected states of a scheduled outage on the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line from April 9 to May 22, 2026, occurring every Thursday to Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.,” the notice stated.
It explained that the upgrade will enhance grid operations through improved Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Energy Management Systems (EMS), and telecommunications capabilities—key components expected to strengthen real-time monitoring, fault detection, and load balancing.
Despite plans to maintain supply through existing 132kV transmission lines, the operator warned that consumers should expect reduced electricity availability during the outage periods due to network limitations and constrained capacity.
“Supply to affected areas will be maintained through available 132kV lines; however, customers may experience reduced power supply and service limitations within the stated outage window,” the agency noted.
The development underscores persistent challenges within Nigeria’s power transmission network, where limited redundancy often results in supply disruptions during infrastructure upgrades.
However, the system operator emphasised that the temporary inconvenience would yield long-term benefits, including improved grid intelligence, enhanced operational efficiency, and more reliable electricity delivery across the region.
The agency added that it is working closely with key stakeholders—including Jos and Yola Distribution Companies, as well as the Transmission Company of Nigeria—to minimise the impact on consumers and ensure outages are managed within the stipulated timeframe.
Upon completion, the project is expected to deliver significant improvements, including better power quality, faster fault response and restoration, enhanced system stability, and improved coordination of generation and load data.
The fibre optic installation will also strengthen the telecommunications backbone required for modern power system operations.
Industry observers note that Nigeria’s power sector is increasingly adopting digital infrastructure such as fibre optics, SCADA, and energy management systems to address grid instability, frequent system failures, and limited visibility across transmission networks—especially in underserved regions like the North-East.
While apologising for the inconvenience, the system operator appealed for public understanding, assuring that the upgrade is a critical step toward delivering a more reliable and efficient power supply.
