Citing Ongoing Road Construction, TCN Says Parts of Abuja to Witness Power Outage for 3 Weeks

•Ex-NERC boss says proposed amendment to 2023 Electricity Act unnecessary

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday announced that there will be prolonged electricity outages in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), citing ongoing road construction by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

The disruptions which will extend to roughly 20 days will see power supply to the affected areas constrained during the exercise, with the outages lasting from around 9am to 5pm daily.

A statement signed by the TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, stressed that TCN regretted any inconvenience that this may cause affected electricity consumers and appealed for understanding to enhance infrastructure development within the FCT.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) wishes to inform the public that there will be power outages in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) will commence road construction works along the kuje axis from Tuesday, 28th October to 16th November 2025. The construction work will affect the 132kV Gwagwalada- Kukwaba–Apo Double Circuit Transmission line.

 “In view of this, TCN will undertake a planned load management operation that will involve temporary interruption of power within the working hours for the road construction to ensure the safety of all stakeholders.

 “The planned outage will be executed in three phases to enhance seamless operations.The first phase is scheduled to commence from Tuesday, 28 October to Sunday, 2nd November 2025, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. The second phase will take place from  6th November –  9 November 2025 between 9.00am – 5.00pm daily, while the third phase  will take effect from  12 November- 16th November 2025 ‘between 9.00am – 15.00pm daily”, the TCN statement added.

It listed the following areas within the FCT namely; Apo, Lokogoma, Guzape, Asokoro, Wuye, Utako, Jabi, and Idu Industrial Layout will experience temporary power interruption, while normal power supply will be restored to the affected areas at the end of each day’s work period.

 “TCN regrets any inconvenience this may cause affected electricity consumers and appeals for understanding to enhance infrastructure development within the FCT,” the company stated.

Meanwhile, a Former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr Sam Amadi, has argued that any moves to amend the Electricity Act 2023 could derail plans to ensure a virile power supply sector.

Speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Association of Power Generation Companies of Nigeria (APGC)  yesterday, Amadi, who served as NERC chairman between 2010 and 2015, said the sector must stick with existing reforms and allow them to take root before any hasty amendments.

At the event Themed: “A Decade of Powering Progress, Driving Nigeria’s Energy Transformation,” the tendency of policymakers to rush into amending laws at the slightest sign of difficulty has ensured that the sector continues to struggle.

He said: “The Nigerian electricity sector is tied to politics too much. If there’s a problem, they start looking for solutions, and the solution becomes worse than the problem. Already, the Electricity Act is undergoing a process to be amended. Some of the provisions of the current law have not even been implemented.

 “I don’t think there’s any need to amend the Electricity Act at this stage. We are too quick to tear down what we have built before giving it time to mature. Amendments should come from trial, with evidence and reviews. Let us develop the resilience and patience to work through problems rather than constantly changing models, institutions, and laws.”

The law was signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, replaced the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 and introduced new  changes, including granting states, companies, and individuals the authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power within their territories.

But Amadi noted that the decentralisation of the electricity market, allowing states to operate subnational electricity systems, though a bold and commendable step, must be handled carefully to avoid regulatory issues.

 “We must accept that there will be both failure and success. We shouldn’t abandon the subnational electricity markets because of initial problems. What we need is revision and imagination, not destruction and reconstruction,” he argued.

Also at the event , the Chairman of the APGC Board, Col. Sani Bello (rtd), renewed calls for the government to urgently tackle the worsening liquidity crisis in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), highlighting the need to settle the huge debts of up to N6 trillion owed the Generation Companies (Gencos).

 “As we celebrate, it is also important to reflect on the realities that still define our industry. The challenges facing the Nigerian power sector are well known: persistent liquidity shortfalls; inadequate gas supply and infrastructure; market inefficiencies and imbalance in payments; ageing equipment and inadequate investment in grid stability; and regulatory and policy uncertainties that sometimes undermine investor confidence.

 “Yet, the difference today is that we face these challenges together. Our commitment, despite regulatory hurdles, gas supply constraints, and liquidity shortfalls, is commendable,” he stated.

He called for consistent, transparent, and investor-friendly policies that enable innovation and sustain power generation investments.

In the same vein, APGC’s Executive Director, Dr. Joy Ogaji, disclosed that despite repeated government assurances of payment, there was no concrete action yet, explaining that the sector still faces enormous challenges.

She said: “The sector still faces recurring challenges — liquidity shortfalls, gas shortages, inadequate grid infrastructure, and regulatory uncertainty. These are not reasons for despair but for renewed resolve and strong political will.”