Seven Northern States Face Power Outages During Grid Upgrade by NISO

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has announced a planned power disruption impacting seven states in the northern region, commencing on Thursday, April 9, 2026, and concluding on May 22, 2026. This temporary measure is part of an essential upgrade to the nation's transmission infrastructure.

The affected states include Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, and Yobe. The outage will occur weekly, specifically from Thursday through Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., affecting the Jos–Gombe 330kV transmission line.

According to a public notice issued by NISO, the purpose of this outage is to allow for the installation of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) fibre optic infrastructure along the transmission corridor. This upgrade is intended to bolster grid management capabilities and enhance operational efficiency.

NISO stated that the improvements will lead to better Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Energy Management Systems (EMS), and telecommunications. These enhancements are crucial for real-time monitoring, quicker fault detection, more effective load balancing, and a general improvement in electricity delivery across the region.

While power supply will continue through alternative 132kV transmission lines during the upgrade period, NISO cautioned that customers in the affected states might experience reduced power supply. This is attributed to network constraints and the limited capacity of the backup lines.

The system operator is collaborating with key entities such as Jos and Yola Distribution Companies, along with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to minimise any potential disruptions. Efforts are underway to manage the impact on various feeders, substations, and customer clusters within the scheduled timeframe.

Upon completion, the upgrade is anticipated to significantly enhance the quality and reliability of electricity supply in the affected northern states. Expected benefits include improved grid coordination, faster restoration of power after faults, greater system stability, better integration of generation and load data, and a more robust telecommunications network for power system operations.

NISO extended an apology for any inconvenience caused by the outage, requesting the understanding and cooperation of electricity consumers as the work progresses towards delivering a more efficient and resilient power supply network.

In parallel, the Presidency on Thursday addressed the approval of a N3.3 trillion plan by President Bola Tinubu to settle verified legacy debts owed to Power Generation Companies (Gencos) between February 2015 and March 2025. This move, which has seen N223 billion already disbursed and settlement agreements totalling N2.3 trillion signed by 15 power plants, has faced scrutiny, with some opposition figures labelling it as 'political'.

The Presidency clarified that the debt settlement is designed to resolve financial challenges within the power sector and is not a reward beyond services rendered. It highlighted that claims across the electricity value chain accumulated to approximately N4.7 trillion between 2015 and 2025.

A thorough review, recommended by President Bola Tinubu after a stakeholder meeting in July 2025, led to a Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of a N4 trillion fiscal cap on August 15, 2025. A subsequent comprehensive verification process reduced the claims by 30 per cent, resulting in a negotiated settlement of N3.3 trillion for valid, contract-backed obligations.

The settlement is being executed through a phased, market-based financing framework to ensure sustainability and avoid fiscal strain. The first phase will involve an envelope of N1.23 trillion, with the disbursement of N501 billion from Series I, raised from the domestic capital market, already in progress.

Disbursements are conditional, based on verified claims, signed settlement agreements, and completed documentation. As of January 8, 2026, five Gencos, representing 14 power plants, had signed settlement deals valued at approximately N827 billion.