The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has successfully restored electricity to most parts of Bayelsa, following a four-month blackout caused by criminal activities that vandalized key transmission towers. The TCN’s Port Harcourt Region, which oversees Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers states, made the announcement on Monday.
Emmanuel Anyaegbulem, the General Manager of TCN’s Port Harcourt Region, addressed the media in Port Harcourt, highlighting the company’s achievements in 2024. He explained that the power outage, which lasted from July 29 to November 30, was triggered by the destruction of 20 transmission towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132 Kilovolt (KV) electricity line. This line is the sole transmission line supplying electricity to Bayelsa.
“The repairs of the collapsed towers presented a significant challenge for us,” Anyaegbulem said. “The blackout lasted for over four months, but we are pleased to have finally restored the lines.”
The vandalism had caused extensive damage to the infrastructure, with each tower costing about N13 million to construct. Anyaegbulem noted that when the criminals destroyed the brackets holding the towers, the structures collapsed, affecting about 20 other towers. Despite the immense difficulty, the TCN team successfully erected and restrung the towers, bringing electricity back to the region.
In addition to this accomplishment, Anyaegbulem reported the arrest of 10 suspects involved in the vandalism of TCN’s facilities in 2024. Four of the suspects have been convicted, while six remain in police custody.
Despite these setbacks, TCN achieved significant progress this year, including the installation of a 100 Megavolt-Amperes (MVA) power transmission transformer at the Port Harcourt main transmission substation. Additionally, the company completed the rehabilitation of the 132/33KV switchyard and took delivery of a 150MVA 330/33KV power transformer at the Adjabo transmission substation. The Itu 132/33KV transmission substation was also upgraded with a new 60MVA transformer and advanced digital control systems.
Anyaegbulem reiterated TCN’s commitment to ensuring the supply of electricity to distribution companies (DisCos), emphasizing the company’s role in supporting reliable power delivery to customers across the region.
