The Kano Electricity Distribution Company has expressed concern over the persistent challenges affecting electricity supply from the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the national grid to Northwestern states.
The company has appealed to the Federal Government to urgently direct TCN to prioritise critical transmission projects and maintenance to improve power delivery across the region.
This was contained in a statement by the company’s Head, Corporate Communications, Sani Bala Sani, on Thursday.
“KEDCO noted that its network currently depends on only two major transmission routes for power supply into the Kano Complex, through Kaduna and Jos.
“This limited transmission redundancy has significantly constrained the reliability and stability of electricity supply to Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and surrounding areas, leaving the network highly vulnerable to outages whenever faults occur on either route,” the statement said.
The company emphasised the need for enhanced security, maintenance, and capacity expansion along the Shiroro–Mando–Kano transmission corridor.
According to KEDCO, increased investment is required to strengthen infrastructure, expand transmission capacity, and build redundancy into the network to reduce system vulnerability and ensure more consistent power delivery.
“These improvements will address longstanding limitations within the transmission network that continue to impact distribution efficiency and service reliability”, the statement read.
KEDCO further explained that in recent weeks, scheduled maintenance and service interventions on the transmission network, especially those involving the installation of Optical Ground Wire along the transmission line routes, resulted in recurring weekend downtimes.
“These situations remain detrimental to both industrial productivity and the welfare of citizens across the Northwestern states and the KEDCO franchise area, in particular,” it said.
The company, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Power, to direct TCN to urgently improve transmission service delivery and accelerate ongoing maintenance and upgrade projects.
KEDCO noted that improved transmission stability is critical to sustaining economic activities and ensuring reliable electricity for homes and businesses.
In the interim, KEDCO stated that available supply will be strategically managed to prioritise industrial and economic hubs and small-scale businesses, maintaining economic balance across its franchise areas.
The company is actively engaging with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Independent System Operator to mitigate the impact of supply constraints and improve service coordination.
KEDCO thanked the Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa state governments for their increased investment in power infrastructure, particularly in generation projects.
“Ongoing projects include the 20MW hybridisation project at Lambar Rimi, in Katsina State, a planned 10MW project in Gagarawa, Jigawa State, as well as the connection of the 16MW Tiga and Challawa Dams (combined) in Kano State.
“KEDCO is also partnering with investors to develop a Gas power plant in Tamburawa alongside the AKK pipeline timeline,” the statement added.
(Punch)
