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Northern Outage: Adelabu Promises No Billing for Customers During Blackouts

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Following a series of widespread power outages across Nigeria’s north-eastern, north-western, and north-central regions, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to prioritize repairs and enhance security measures for electricity infrastructures. This decision comes in light of recent events that have disrupted electricity supply, significantly affecting residents and businesses in major cities such as Kaduna and Kano.

The initial outage was reported on October 22, when TCN announced that the 330-kilovolt Ugwaji-Apir double circuit transmission lines 1 and 2 had tripped, leading to substantial power losses. Further investigations revealed that acts of vandalism had also played a significant role in the outages, particularly with the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, which was damaged and resulted in a notable reduction in bulk electricity supply to the affected regions.

Compounding the situation, a snapped transmission line in the Igumale forest area of Benue State further contributed to the blackout, leaving thousands without power. The cumulative effect of these disruptions has drawn significant criticism from residents who are increasingly frustrated by the frequent power outages.

In response to the crisis, President Tinubu directed TCN to fast-track the repair process and assigned National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to oversee the protection of electricity facilities. This dual approach aims not only to restore power as quickly as possible but also to safeguard against future vandalism and disruption.

Following a meeting with the President on the matter, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, outlined the government’s strategy for addressing the ongoing outages. He announced plans to meet with the chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and representatives from Distribution Companies (DisCos) to discuss the implications of the blackouts and how to alleviate their impact on consumers.

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“I’m going to have a meeting with the chairman of NERC and all the DisCos for those days during which they suffer blackouts,” Adelabu informed State House correspondents. He highlighted that customers affected by the outages would not be billed for electricity during this period. “There should not be billing of any sort for any customer, whether household, office, or industrial consumers; they would be immune from billings from those periods.”

The Minister highlighted that TCN has already mobilized resources to repair the damaged lines and that security measures have been put in place, including support from the Chief of Army Staff and Air Staff. “What they asked for, which has been provided for them now, is the security cover of the National Security Adviser to enable them to restore the damaged lines. We are optimistic that very soon this will be restored,” he added.

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