The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has accused Ikeja Electric of misleading electricity consumers over the causes of recent power outages in Lagos, insisting that reduced electricity generation, rather than transmission network failure, was responsible for the supply disruptions.
TCN made the clarification in a statement on Friday, November 6, 2026, following a public notice issued by Ikeja Electric on November 5, which attributed outages affecting several Band A feeders on November 3 and 4 to grid instability and identified TCN as responsible.
The transmission company described the explanation as inaccurate and misleading, arguing that the decline in electricity supply resulted from insufficient power generation caused by gas supply constraints and reduced hydroelectric output.
According to TCN, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) had already identified inadequate gas supply to thermal power stations and lower water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs as the major factors behind the decline in generation.
The resulting shortfall, it explained, reduced the volume of electricity available for allocation to distribution companies, including Ikeja Electric, leading to fewer hours of supply and increased load shedding across their networks.
TCN also cited Section 67 of the Electricity Act 2023, arguing that determining the causes of disturbances and interruptions on the national grid falls within NISO’s statutory responsibilities.
The company maintained that electricity distribution companies should rely on verified information from NISO rather than independently attributing supply disruptions to transmission failures.
Providing operational figures to support its position, TCN said 68 per cent of interruptions recorded across feeders supplying Ikeja Electric on November 1 and 2 resulted from frequency-control load shedding caused by low generation.
It attributed another 26 per cent to Ikeja Electric’s alleged non-compliance with load allocation instructions from NISO’s National Control Centre, as well as faults and maintenance activities on the distribution company’s network.
The remaining six per cent, according to TCN, resulted from its planned maintenance, switching operations and transmission line limitations.
For the 46 interruptions involving the 33kV feeders specifically identified in Ikeja Electric’s notice, TCN said 29 resulted from load shedding caused by inadequate generation.
It attributed 14 incidents to Ikeja Electric, comprising nine cases of non-compliance with load allocation and five faults or trips on its distribution network. The remaining three were linked to scheduled maintenance on TCN’s Ogba-Alimosho line.
TCN further cited a cable fault affecting the Rack Centre feeder on November 2, which it said occurred on Ikeja Electric’s distribution network and was subsequently repaired by the company’s technical team.
The transmission company insisted that none of the interruptions in the records it presented resulted from equipment failure or a trip on its transmission network.
“TCN can only transmit the energy made available to it and cannot transmit energy that is not generated,” the company said.
The dispute comes amid wider electricity supply challenges affecting consumers in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
In a separate clarification reported by Channels Television on November 6, NISO confirmed that inadequate gas supply to thermal power plants and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric stations had constrained electricity generation nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has engaged TCN, NISO and distribution companies over the operational constraints affecting electricity supply, with the ministry saying efforts are underway to address the problems and restore normal supply.
TCN urged electricity distribution companies to avoid making unverified statements about the causes of power interruptions and advised consumers to rely on NISO’s official communication channels for accurate information.
The company expressed sympathy with affected customers and reaffirmed its commitment to transmitting available electricity safely and efficiently despite the prevailing generation constraints.
