Planned Power Outages in Abuja Due to Road Construction
Residents of Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, will experience daily power outages lasting seven hours for a total of 11 days. This precautionary measure has been announced by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) as a necessary step during ongoing road construction activities in the area. While an exact assessment of the productivity losses resulting from this power interruption is yet to be calculated, experts predict that various sectors will feel the negative impact.
Notably, hoteliers, hospitality services, artisans, and other service-oriented industries are expected to be affected significantly by this disruption. The TCN has clarified that the power outages are required to facilitate the relocation of eight 132kV and 33kV towers along the Kukwaba/Apo 132kV line. This relocation is part of the Federal Capital Development Agency’s dualisation project along the Apo axis, which aims to enhance road infrastructure. The scheduled power outages will occur daily from Monday, January 6, to Monday, January 20, between the hours of 9 AM and 4 PM.
This time frame is necessary to dismantle and reconstruct the towers, as well as to restring power cables, ensuring the restoration of bulk power supply to the Apo Transmission Substation from the Gwagwalada Substation. With only eleven days remaining in this power outage period, customers of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in areas like Kubwa, Karu, Maraba, Nyanya, Masaka, Keffi, Kukwaba, and Apo Mechanic will experience electricity supply rationing. The outages will also extend to parts of Lugbe, Trademore Estate, Pyakasa, Sabon Lugbe, Chika, and Alaita, among others.
Although the relocation of the towers is crucial for the timely completion of the road project, TCN has expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the planned outages. They assured customers that power supply will be restored promptly once the relocation and cable restringing processes are completed. Additionally, the AEDC has confirmed that multiple areas within Abuja will face a 16-day power interruption.
They have provided a detailed list of affected locations, which includes Lugbe, Airport Road, Kapwa, NNPC, Games Village, National Stadium, Eye Clinic, Indoor Complex, Christ Embassy Church, American International School, Spring Court, American Embassy Quarters, EFCC HQ, Coca Cola, Railway, FMC, along with parts of Apo, Gudu, Kubwa, Jahi, Jabi, Karu, Nyanya, Mararaba, Keffi, Gbazango, and other surrounding areas. “We are working diligently to minimize downtime and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused,” stated an AEDC representative.
