Electricity supply to Akwa Ibom State and parts of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company’s network has been cut off following the collapse of the Aba/Itu 132 kilovolt transmission line.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria disclosed that the outage occurred in the early hours of Saturday, September 13, 2025, causing a widespread blackout in the affected areas.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, Ndidi Mbah, explained that the Aba/Itu transmission line experienced a forced outage due to a line trip at about 1:03 am on Saturday.
According to Mbah, the incident immediately disrupted bulk power supply to PHED’s network and plunged Akwa Ibom State into darkness.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria wishes to inform the public of a forced outage on the Aba/Itu 132 kV Transmission Line that occurred on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at approximately 01:03 am due to a line trip.
This incident interrupted the bulk power supply to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and also the power supply to Akwa Ibom State,” she said.
Mbah assured residents of the affected areas that the company had already deployed its maintenance team to the site to identify and fix the fault. She noted that TCN engineers are working around the clock to restore the collapsed line and reinstate supply to the affected PHED networks and Akwa Ibom State.
“Our maintenance crew has promptly responded to the situation and is working diligently to rectify the fault and restore power supply to the affected areas. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and assure you that power will be restored as soon as the repairs are completed,” the TCN spokesperson added.
The outage has disrupted electricity supply across Akwa Ibom State and parts of the South-South region served by PHED. Residents of Uyo, Eket, and other towns in Akwa Ibom, as well as parts of Rivers State, have been grappling with the blackout since Saturday.
For many small and medium-scale businesses, the outage has added pressure on operations, as reliance on alternative power sources such as generators and fuel has spiked. The development comes at a time when businesses and households are already grappling with high fuel costs.
The transmission company noted that it has continued to prioritise swift response to line faults and outages across its network to stabilise the electricity supply.
Mbah explained that forced outages such as the one on the Aba/Itu line could result from a range of issues, including technical faults, weather-related damage, or sudden system disturbances. She reiterated that the company’s focus remains on ensuring that disruptions are quickly managed to minimise hardship for electricity consumers.
While TCN did not provide a specific timeline for full restoration, the company assured residents that power would be restored as soon as repairs on the collapsed line are completed.
Mbah also called on customers and stakeholders within the affected areas to exercise patience as engineers work to restore stability to the transmission network. “We understand the hardship that power interruptions cause to residents, businesses, and essential services. Please be assured that we are committed to completing the necessary repairs in the shortest possible time,” she said.
The Aba/Itu 132kV transmission line is a key infrastructure that links supply to Akwa Ibom State and parts of the PHED network. Its collapse or outage directly affects electricity distribution in these areas, making it a critical part of the South-South grid.
Over the years, recurring system failures, vandalism, and ageing infrastructure have posed challenges to Nigeria’s power transmission network. However, TCN maintains that it is investing in maintenance, capacity upgrades, and network expansion to reduce forced outages and improve stability across the country.
The sudden collapse of the Aba/Itu line has once again highlighted the fragility of Nigeria’s transmission network and its impact on homes and businesses. For residents of Akwa Ibom and parts of Rivers, the focus remains on how soon the fault will be fixed.
With TCN’s engineers already on site and restoration work in progress, electricity consumers are hopeful that the blackout will be resolved quickly, restoring normal supply to the affected areas.
