Full List: Seven states to experience scheduled power interruptions for six weeks over grid upgrade

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has announced a planned series of power interruptions affecting seven states in the northern region as work begins on an upgrade of the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line.

The disruption will run from April 9 to May 22, 2026, with outages scheduled weekly between Thursday and Sunday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

States affected are Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, and Yobe.

According to NISO, the work involves installing Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) fibre optic cables along the transmission corridor. The upgrade is intended to improve grid communications and operational control systems, including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Energy Management Systems (EMS).

The operator said the intervention is aimed at improving real-time monitoring of the grid, fault detection, load management, and overall system coordination.

During the maintenance periods, electricity supply is expected to be rerouted through alternative 132kV lines. However, NISO noted that these lines have limited capacity, which may lead to reduced supply and interruptions across several distribution feeders.

Consumers in the affected states are likely to experience fluctuating supply within the outage windows.

NISO stated that it is working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria and distribution companies to manage the impact and maintain service continuity where possible.

The upgrade is part of broader efforts to modernise the national transmission network and strengthen its communications infrastructure. The fibre optic deployment is also expected to improve coordination between generation, transmission, and distribution systems.

While acknowledging possible inconvenience, the system operator said the project is necessary for long-term improvements in reliability and grid performance across the region.