The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has officially declared force majeure on the 132kV Birnin Kebbi–Niamey transmission line after severe weather caused three critical transmission towers to collapse in Kebbi State, cutting off bulk power supply to Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic.
​According to a statement released on Friday, August 28, 2026, by TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the system disruption began on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, when the line tripped at exactly 5:38 PM. A trial reclosure conducted shortly after at 6:03 PM failed as the line tripped instantly.
​A subsequent fault-finding patrol dispatched by TCN linesmen located the site of the damage at Chibike Village in Kebbi State. Inspections revealed that Towers T109, T110, and T111 had buckled and collapsed under the severe weight of heavy rainfall and high-intensity windstorms affecting the region.
​”TCN has mobilised personnel and resources to the site and will ensure that all hands are on deck to facilitate the speedy rehabilitation of the collapsed towers and return the line to service in the shortest possible time,” Mbah stated.
​The utility provider expressed regret to its international customers in Niamey for the service disruption and assured stakeholders that emergency reconstruction efforts were underway to restore the cross-border transmission grid promptly.
