Rivers, Abia Blackout: NUEE Action Trips Afam IV Transformer, TCN Confirms
By Aboki Forex —
Parts of Rivers and Abia states lost electricity supply on Monday, September 28, 2026, after members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Rivers State Chapter, opened a key transmission line during a labour dispute.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the union members opened the Afam-Alaoji 330kV Transmission Line 2 at the Alaoji 330kV Transmission Substation.
What TCN says happened
TCN said the action was tied to a dispute between NUEE and the management of Afam IV Gas Power Station. The opening of the line caused the 150MVA 330/132kV inter-bus transformer at Afam IV to trip, cutting off bulk electricity transmission to Port Harcourt and surrounding areas.
The company said: "The action is linked to an ongoing labour dispute involving the management of Afam IV Gas Power Station and NUEE. Consequently, the 150MVA 330/132kV inter-bus transformer at Afam IV tripped, affecting bulk electricity transmission to parts of Port Harcourt and its environs."
Three facilities affected
Three major facilities were hit by the incident: the Port Harcourt Town 132kV Transmission Substation, the Elelenwo 132kV Transmission Substation, and a 60MVA 132/33kV transformer at the Port Harcourt Mains 132kV Transmission Substation.
These installations form part of the infrastructure that moves bulk power to distribution networks serving homes and businesses in the region.
Restoration plan, no timeline
TCN said it is working with the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and other relevant stakeholders to bring the affected infrastructure back online.
It said: "TCN is engaging relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), to restore the affected facilities as soon as conditions allow safe restoration."
No definite timeline for restoration was given. TCN also did not disclose the specific issues driving the labour dispute at Afam IV.
The company apologised to consumers hit by the outage, adding that updates would follow as the situation develops. It said: "TCN regrets the inconvenience caused to electricity consumers in the affected areas and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops."
What it means for the region
The outage leaves households and businesses in Port Harcourt, Elelenwo and nearby areas exposed to longer hours on generators and higher diesel and petrol spending, at least until TCN and NISO restore the tripped transformer and the affected substations.
Separately, Ikeja Electric has introduced a buy-now-pay-later electricity scheme, Energy Advance, which allows eligible customers to receive up to N20,000 worth of electricity units on credit before settling the cost later. The distribution company said the service is designed to prevent unexpected power interruptions when units run out.