The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported that the current power supply limitation in Sokoto, Talata-Mafara, Gusau and Birnin–Kebbi was caused by the collapse of 132KV transmission tower located between Funtua and Gusau.Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs said on Tuesday in Abuja that the collapse of the tower resulted in transmission capacity constraints on its Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara-Gusau transmission line.
Mbah said the collapse of tower No 307 on Funtua-Gusau transmission line route cut off bulk electricity supply to Gusau and its environs.
She, however, said that as remedial measure, TCN had started back-feeding of distribution load centres in Gusau through its Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto-Talata-Mafara 80MW capacity transmission line.
“The combined capacity of Sokoto, Talata-Mafara and Gusau is much higher than the maximum capacity the line is built to carry.
“This is resulting in overload of the line and consequently reduced bulk electricity to Sokoto, Birnin-Kebbi and Gusau,“ she explained.
Mbah also revealed that TCN had started erecting a new tower which would be completed in two weeks.
She said investigations into the cause of the collapse was on-going and would soon be concluded.
According to her, under the on-going Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), procurement for the Kainji-Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto 330kV transmission Line and a 330kV substation in Sokoto will soon commence.
She added that the procurement of high capacity conductors for the re-conducting of Birnin Kebbi-Sokoto and Kaduna-Zaria-Funtua-Gusau 132kV Transmission lines that will double the current capacity of the lines, has also reached advanced stage.
She appealed to the governments and people of Sokoto and Zamfara states for patience, and assured that the tower would be completed as scheduled and normal power transmission restored to electricity consumers in the states.