The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported the vandalism of four towers along the Owerri-Ahoada 132kV Double Circuit line. The affected towers, numbered T171 to T174, collapsed around 6:23 pm on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, disrupting power supply to the Ahoda, Gbarain, and Yenagoa 132kV transmission substations. This incident has left parts of Rivers State and the entirety of Bayelsa State in darkness.
Confirming the event in a statement on Thursday, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, attributed the collapse directly to vandalism, discovered after a failed trial reclosure during routine system monitoring. According to Mbah, engineers, led by the General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, Emmanuel Apka, have assessed the damage on-site. Efforts are underway to mobilize personnel and materials to repair the towers and restore bulk power supply.
Mbah condemned the vandalism, stating that such acts undermine progress toward a robust transmission grid. She urged host communities to actively participate in safeguarding power infrastructure, noting the widespread impact of such incidents.
Grid Stability Efforts Underway
In a related development, the TCN has inaugurated a Network Monitoring System Development Committee aimed at enhancing grid stability and mitigating power system disturbances. During the inauguration on Thursday, the Executive Director of Independent System Operations, Nafisat Ali, underscored the need for an advanced monitoring system that integrates real-time data analysis and operational awareness to optimize grid resources.
Ali highlighted the challenges posed by manual operation in managing the power system network and emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive Network Monitoring System, given the growing complexity of the power grid.
The committee, chaired by Ojo Oladeji, Assistant General Manager (Research) at the Independent System Operator, intends to utilize Phase Measuring Units and IoT-based technologies to achieve its objectives. The eight-member team aims to implement a system operational before the completion of ongoing work on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, serving as a backup solution.
The committee will also deploy IoT technologies and incorporate artificial intelligence tools to enhance efficiency across generation, transmission, and distribution processes. These initiatives represent a significant step toward improving grid reliability and ensuring sustainable power delivery across the country.
