The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has declared Force Majeure on the 132kV Birnin Kebbi–Niamey Transmission Line after three transmission towers collapsed during heavy rain and a windstorm in Kebbi State.
TCN disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the transmission line tripped at 5:38 p.m. on August 26, 2026, following the incident at Chibike Village.
The company said an attempted reclosure of the line at 6:03 p.m. was unsuccessful, with the line tripping again immediately.
A subsequent fault-finding patrol by TCN linesmen identified the affected structures as towers T109, T110 and T111. “Following the incident, TCN linesmen embarked on a fault-finding patrol and discovered that three towers, T109, T110 and T111, had collapsed at Chibike Village. The collapse was caused by heavy rain and windstorm experienced in the area,” the company said.
The collapse has disrupted the transmission of bulk electricity to Niamey, Niger Republic, through the affected corridor.
TCN said it has mobilised personnel and resources to the site to commence rehabilitation of the damaged structures and restore the transmission line as quickly as possible. “We regret the inconvenience this may cause to our customers in Niamey and assure that every effort is being made to restore normal supply promptly,” the company added.
Force Majeure is a contractual and legal provision that can excuse a party from certain obligations when extraordinary circumstances beyond its reasonable control prevent it from fulfilling those obligations.
The latest incident highlights the vulnerability of Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure to extreme weather during the rainy season.
In July, TCN declared Force Majeure on the Oworonshoki 132/33kV and Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substations following flooding caused by persistent rainfall in Lagos.
The transmission company has also continued to carry out planned maintenance and upgrades across its network.
In March 2026, TCN announced that communities in parts of Niger State, as well as areas between Gombe and Borno states, would experience temporary power interruptions due to maintenance activities.
The latest tower collapse means the Birnin Kebbi–Niamey corridor is currently unable to deliver electricity at its normal transmission capacity.
TCN did not give a specific timeline for restoration, indicating that the duration of the disruption will depend on the rehabilitation of the collapsed towers and the safe restoration of the line.
