TCN declares Force Majeure after three towers collapse on Birnin Kebbi–Niamey line
By Aboki Forex —
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has declared Force Majeure on the 132kV Birnin Kebbi–Niamey Transmission Line after three transmission towers collapsed at Chibike Village. The collapse followed heavy rain and windstorm, disrupting bulk electricity transmission to Niamey.
Line tripped twice
TCN disclosed the development in a statement on Friday. The line tripped at 17:38hrs on August 26, 2026. A trial reclosure conducted at 18:03hrs was unsuccessful as the line tripped again immediately.
Force Majeure is a contractual and legal provision that may excuse a party from certain obligations when extraordinary circumstances beyond its reasonable control prevent performance.
A fault-finding patrol identified the collapsed structures as towers T109, T110 and T111. The company said: “Following the incident, TCN linesmen embarked on a fault-finding patrol and discovered that three towers, T109, T110 and T111, had collapsed at Chibike Village. The collapse was caused by heavy rain and windstorm experienced in the area.”
TCN said it had mobilised personnel and resources to the site to begin rehabilitation work and restore the transmission line as soon as possible. “We regret the inconvenience this may cause to our customers in Niamey and assure that every effort is being made to restore normal supply promptly,” TCN added.
Rainy season headaches
The incident is the latest weather-related damage to TCN infrastructure during the rainy season. In July, the company declared Force Majeure on the Oworonshoki 132/33kV and Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substations after flooding linked to persistent rainfall in Lagos.
TCN has also carried out planned maintenance across its network. In March 2026, it announced that communities in parts of Niger State, as well as areas between Gombe and Borno states, would experience temporary electricity interruptions during maintenance activities.
Rehabilitation and outlook
The collapse of the three towers means the affected transmission corridor cannot currently provide its normal bulk electricity transfer to Niamey. The duration of the disruption will depend on how quickly TCN can rehabilitate the damaged structures and safely restore the line.
In March, some communities in parts of Niger State and regions between Gombe and Borno states faced blackouts as TCN began maintenance operations. In June 2025, TCN commenced construction of a turn-in-turn-out (TITO) connection in the northern region, specifically along the 330kV Jos–Bauchi–Gombe transmission line. During the construction period, the Gombe and Biu transmission substations continued to receive power through the Dadin-Kowa Hydro Power Plant and the Maiduguri Substation. TCN had in December 2024 boosted power supply in the Lekki corridor with the commissioning of a 1×60/75 MVA 132/33kV power transformer at the 330/132/33kV Lekki Transmission Substation in Lagos State.
For Nigerian businesses and households, the repeated weather-related failures on the grid expose the fragility of the country’s power infrastructure. Cross-border supply commitments to Niger are also affected, which could strain regional energy relations until TCN completes repairs.