Tower collapse causes blackout in Sokoto, other states

By Kingsley Okoye

Current power supply limitation in Sokoto, Talata-Mafara, Gusau and Birnin–Kebbi is caused by the collapse of 132KV transmission tower located between Funtua and Gusau, a statement from Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says.

The statement, issued by Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs  in Abuja on Tuesday, said the collapse of the tower resulted in  transmission capacity constraints on its Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara-Gusau transmission line.

Mbah, said the collapse of tower No 307 on Funtua-Gusau transmission line route cut off bulk electricity supply to Gusau and its environs .

She, however, said as remedial measure, TCN had started back-feeding of distribution load centres in Gusau through its Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara 80MW capacity transmission line.

“The combined capacity of Sokoto, Talata-Mafara and Gusau is much higher than the maximum capacity the line is built to carry.

“This is resulting in overload of the line and consequently reduced bulk electricity to Sokoto, Birnin-Kebbi and Gusau.“ the TCN spokesperson explained.

Mbah also revealed that TCN had  started erecting a new tower which would be completed in two weeks.

She said investigations into the cause of the collapse was on-going and would soon be concluded.

She said under the on-going Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), procurement for the Kainji-Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto 330kV transmission Line and a 330kV substation in Sokoto would soon commence.

According to her, the procurement of high capacity conductors for the re-conducting of Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto and Kaduna-Zaria-Funtua-Gusau 132kV Transmission lines that will double the current capacity of the lines, has also reached advanced stage.

She appealed to governments and people of  Sokoto and Zamfara for patience, and assured that the tower would be completed as scheduled and normal power transmission restored to electricity consumers in the states.