The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has refuted claims made by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) regarding a widespread power outage that plunged parts of Nigeria's capital into darkness earlier this week.
In a statement issued on Thursday, TCN strongly denied that the blackout was caused by any technical fault on its end, insisting that its power transmission infrastructure remains fully operational. This response comes shortly after AEDC blamed the outage on a supposed failure in one of TCN’s feeders supplying electricity to the capital.
“The feeders supplying AEDC are all fully functional,” the statement from TCN read. “There has been no interruption from our side. Any issues regarding the power supply within Abuja are not transmission-related. We urge AEDC to provide the public with accurate information and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
Public Confusion and Frustration
The contradictory statements from both agencies have fueled public frustration, especially as many residents in areas such as Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Wuse, and Lugbe continue to endure extended periods of blackout without any concrete explanation or estimated time for restoration.
“This blame game between TCN and AEDC is unfair to the people,” said Mrs. Justina Opara, a small business owner in Wuse Market. “We just want power restored. Our businesses are suffering, and nobody is taking responsibility.”
Many residents and business owners are now demanding greater transparency and coordination among power sector players, citing poor communication and a lack of accountability as recurring issues within Nigeria’s electricity industry.
Regulatory Silence Raises Concerns
So far, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has not issued an official statement on the dispute, raising further concerns about regulatory oversight in critical service delivery.
Industry watchers say this public spat is symptomatic of deeper systemic issues within Nigeria’s power sector, including poor infrastructure, limited investments, and weak coordination between transmission and distribution companies.
Call for Accountability
With Abuja residents growing increasingly restless, civil society groups and consumer protection advocates are calling on the federal government to intervene, clarify the root cause of the outage, and ensure disciplinary measures are taken against the culpable party.
“Electricity is a basic necessity,” said Jide Ikenna, spokesperson of the Consumer Rights Watch Nigeria. “When two major players in the power sector cannot agree on who is responsible for a power failure, the real losers are the Nigerian people. This pattern of passing the buck must stop.”
As of the time of this report, electricity supply has yet to be fully restored to the affected areas.