The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has accused Ikeja Electric of misleading customers by attributing recent feeder outages in parts of Lagos to grid instability, insisting that the disruptions were largely caused by reduced power generation and faults on the distribution company’s network.

In a statement responding to Ikeja Electric’s public notice of November 5, 2026, TCN disputed the distribution company’s attribution of several Band A feeder outages recorded on November 3 and 4 to the transmission network.

TCN said the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), rather than electricity distribution companies (DisCos), is responsible for determining the causes of disturbances and interruptions on the national grid. It added that NISO had not attributed the outages cited by Ikeja Electric to a failure of TCN’s network.

TCN disputes Ikeja Electric’s outage claims

TCN said NISO had already explained that the recent decline in electricity supply was caused by gas supply constraints affecting thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs.

According to the transmission company, the reduced generation lowered the amount of electricity available for allocation to DisCos, resulting in fewer supply hours and increased load shedding across distribution networks.

TCN argued that the shortfall experienced by Ikeja Electric’s customers was therefore a consequence of reduced generation and lower allocation, rather than a failure of the transmission network.

It also cited Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, which it said places the responsibility for determining the root causes of grid disturbances, shortfalls and interruptions within NISO’s defined functions.

• “By virtue of Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, the determination of the root cause of disturbances, shortfalls and interruptions on the national grid falls exclusively within the defined functions of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), “TCN stated.

The company maintained that it could only transmit the electricity generated and made available to it, adding that it could not transmit power that was not produced.

TCN presents feeder interruption figures

To support its position, TCN cited interruption records for feeders supplying Ikeja Electric, saying they were consistent with NISO’s explanation of the nationwide generation shortfall.

Nairametrics earlier reported that NISO attributed the recent decline in power generation, which has triggered blackouts across the country, to gas supply constraints affecting thermal power plants and reduced output from hydroelectric power stations.

According to the TCN, the records for November 1 and 2 showed that 68% of interruptions resulted from frequency-control load shedding caused by low generation. Another 26% were linked to Ikeja Electric’s failure to comply with load allocations issued by NISO’s National Control Centre (NCC), or to faults and maintenance work on the DisCo’s network.

• The remaining 6% involved TCN-planned maintenance, switching operations or line limitations. TCN said none of the recorded interruptions was caused by a fault or trip on its equipment.

The company also examined 46 interruptions recorded on the 33kV feeders listed in Ikeja Electric’s notice. It said 29 were caused by frequency-control load shedding arising from low generation, while 14 were attributed to the distribution company.

• TCN said, “Of the 46 interruptions recorded on the 33kV feeders named in the notice, 29 were frequency-control load-shedding arising from low generation, and 14 were recorded against IKEDC: 9 for non-compliance with load allocation and 5 for faults or trips on its own network.”

The remaining three were scheduled TCN maintenance on the Ogba–Alimosho line on November 1.

TCN further cited the Rack Centre feeder interruption on November 2, which it said resulted from a cable fault on Ikeja Electric’s network and was repaired by the DisCo’s crew. It also noted that Ikeja Electric’s own notice assigned some feeders, including MTN, Iju Water Works and Rack Centre, to the company for 33kV faults.

TCN urged Ikeja Electric and other DisCos to avoid making claims about the causes of supply disruptions without verified information from NISO. It also advised electricity customers to consult NISO’s official platforms for updates on the state of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

The transmission company said it sympathised with affected customers and remained committed to transmitting available electricity safely and reliably while working with NISO, generation companies and DisCos to improve supply.

Lagos outages revive accountability concerns

The disagreement follows earlier electricity disruptions reported in parts of Lagos and Abuja. Nairametrics reported that Ikeja Electric and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) had attributed outages in their respective areas to reduced power allocation from the national grid and technical faults.

Both companies used their official communication channels to explain the disruptions and update customers on restoration efforts.

Ikeja Electric, which distributes electricity across parts of Lagos, including Ikeja and surrounding communities, had said constraints in the amount of electricity allocated to its network limited the power available for distribution, resulting in fewer supply hours for customers.