Electricity consumers in Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, and Yobe states should expect weeks of intermittent power outages as the Nigerian Independent System Operator schedules maintenance on the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line.
The planned outage, running from April 9 to May 22, 2026, will occur weekly from Thursday to Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The operator explained that the disruption is necessary for the installation of Optical Ground Wire fibre optic infrastructure, part of a wider effort to modernise the national grid.
According to the notice, the upgrade aims to enhance Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Energy Management Systems (EMS), and telecommunications capabilities. This will strengthen real-time monitoring, fault detection, load balancing, and overall electricity delivery across the affected region.
While alternative supply will be maintained via 132kV transmission lines, reduced power availability is expected due to network limitations. The agency assured that it is coordinating closely with distribution companies, including Jos and Yola, as well as the Transmission Company of Nigeria, to minimise disruption.
Upon completion, the project is expected to improve electricity reliability, enable faster restoration after faults, enhance system stability, and provide better integration of generation and load data. It will also strengthen the telecommunications backbone necessary for modern power system operations.
The system operator acknowledged the inconvenience but emphasised that the temporary disruptions are essential for long-term benefits in electricity supply and grid performance.
