TCN Reveals Real Cause of Lekki Power Outage, Dismisses EKEDC's Transformer Claim

The Transmission Company of Nigeria has traced the power outage affecting Lekki, Lagos, to faults on two feeders operated by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, directly contradicting EKEDC's claim that a TCN transformer was responsible.

In a statement on Thursday, TCN said the disruption was not caused by a fault on its transformer at the Lekki Transmission Substation. Instead, the company said the outage was triggered by EKEDC's Oniru 33kV and Agungi 33kV feeders, which tripped simultaneously at about 4:34 am on August 26.

Heavy Bang and Smoke at Substation

According to TCN, the feeders tripped because of overcurrent and an earth fault. The feeder fault subsequently caused an inter-tripping of the primary and secondary breakers connected to its TR1 60MVA, 132/33kV transformer.

The incident reportedly produced a heavy bang and visible smoke at the transmission substation, prompting immediate intervention by TCN's maintenance personnel. The company said its technical team moved quickly to address the affected equipment, rehabilitating the damaged secondary breaker and restoring both the primary and secondary breakers later that same day.

EKEDC Trial Closure Sparks Another Trip

However, the situation resurfaced when EKEDC attempted a trial closure of its Oniru feeder. TCN said the same relay indications that had triggered the earlier incident appeared again, causing another trip and requiring additional corrective work by its technical team.

TCN stressed that its T11 transformer did not suffer an outage and maintained that the disruption was directly linked to the Oniru and Agungi feeders operated by EKEDC. The company said its technical personnel remained at the site to complete the necessary work and restore electricity supply to affected customers as quickly as possible.

“We are actively addressing the fault caused by the DisCo’s feeders and regret any inconvenience caused,” TCN said.

Recurring Tension Between TCN and DisCos

The company also reaffirmed its commitment to improving the reliability and resilience of Nigeria’s transmission network. The latest development adds to recurring disagreements between TCN and electricity distribution companies over responsibility for power failures affecting consumers.

For electricity users, however, the immediate concern remains the restoration of supply, particularly in densely populated areas of Lagos where prolonged outages can disrupt businesses, homes and daily activities. The TCN clarification is therefore expected to draw renewed attention to the often complicated relationship between the transmission company and DisCos when faults occur across the electricity supply chain.