Planned Power Outage to Affect Seven Northern States as NISO Upgrades Transmission Infrastructure
Oru Leonard
Electricity consumers across Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe states should brace for intermittent power disruptions following a planned outage announced by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
In a public notice issued on Thursday, NISO disclosed that the outage will occur along the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line from April 9 to May 22, 2026. The scheduled disruptions will take place every Thursday to Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
According to the operator, the outage is necessary to enable the installation of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) fibre optic infrastructure, a critical upgrade aimed at modernising grid operations and enhancing system efficiency.
NISO explained that the project will significantly improve Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Energy Management Systems (EMS), boosting real-time monitoring, fault detection, load balancing, and overall electricity delivery across the region.
While efforts have been made to maintain supply through available 132kV transmission lines, the operator cautioned that customers in the affected states may experience reduced power supply due to limited network capacity during the outage periods.
The system operator noted that it is working in collaboration with key stakeholders, including distribution companies in Jos and Yola, as well as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to ensure that disruptions are effectively managed within the stipulated timeframe.
Upon completion, the upgrade is expected to deliver improved electricity reliability, faster fault response, enhanced grid stability, and stronger telecommunications support for power system operations.
NISO apologised for the inconvenience the planned outage may cause, assuring customers that the temporary disruption is necessary to achieve a more efficient and resilient power supply system in the affected states.
