By Dayo Omoogun
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has continued to make significant investments in transmission capacity, network expansion, asset rehabilitation and material management as part of a holistic strategy to strengthen electricity transmission and improve the reliability and resilience of Nigeria’s power grid.
The company disclosed this during a media workshop for energy correspondents in Abuja, where presentations on TCN’s milestones and challenges, as well as the strategic impact of its Material Control and Stores operations, provided insight into the infrastructure and operational systems supporting the country’s transmission network.
According to TCN, its current transmission wheeling capacity stands at 8,700MW, while the grid recorded a peak transmitted power of 5,801.84MW on March 4, 2025, alongside a maximum daily energy record of 128,370.75MWh.
The company also reported that 89 new power transformers, representing more than 8,500MVA of additional transformation capacity, have been commissioned as part of its capacity expansion programme.
TCN said the interventions have included strategic transformer additions, substation upgrades, new transmission corridors and rehabilitation of ageing assets, with projects funded through a combination of internally generated revenue and development-partner financing.
It disclosed that more than $1.4 billion in multilateral and development financing had been mobilised for transmission expansion and modernisation, with support from institutions including the World Bank, African Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Agence Française de Développement.
One of the major recent interventions highlighted was the commissioning of a 300MVA 330/132kV transformer at Katampe Transmission Substation in Abuja on May 24, 2026, increasing the substation’s transformation capacity from 450MVA to 750MVA.
TCN said the project would provide additional bulk power availability for the Abuja axis, improve operational flexibility and create room for future demand growth in the Federal Capital Territory.
Similarly, a 75MVA transformer commissioned at the Mile 50 Abakaliki Transmission Substation on January 24, 2026, increased the substation’s capacity to 135MVA and strengthened bulk electricity supply to Ebonyi State and parts of Cross River State.
In Edo State, the company commissioned the Benin–Ihovbor and Ihovbor–Ajaokuta Turn-In Turn-Out (TITO) transmission lines, providing two additional 330kV routes with a combined length of about 40 kilometres.
The project, according to TCN, is expected to improve operational flexibility and resilience around the Benin axis while strengthening the evacuation of electricity from the Niger Delta generation corridor to load centres.
In Lagos, where the region accounts for about 30 per cent of national power offtake, TCN said its capacity expansion programme includes a 100MVA transformer at Ijora, a 300MVA transformer at Lekki and a 125MVA transformer at Agbara, alongside rehabilitation works at Amuwo GIS, Akoka and Itire substations.
The company also deployed a new 60MVA mobile transformer at Damaturu in July 2026, raising the substation’s capacity from 120MVA to 180MVA and providing additional redundancy during maintenance and forced outages.
Beyond new infrastructure, TCN said preventive maintenance had been carried out on more than two-thirds of its substations and transmission lines in 2026, reflecting a shift towards maintenance, rehabilitation and asset-life extension as key components of grid reliability.
At the workshop, the Department of Material Control and Stores underscored the importance of having critical equipment and materials available when required to sustain TCN’s operations.
The department is responsible for managing the procurement, storage and utilisation of materials required for maintaining and operating the national transmission network, with the objective of ensuring availability at reasonable cost while minimising waste and maintaining quality standards.
Its core functions include scheduling, purchasing, receiving, inspection and maintaining stock records.
The department said its objectives include ensuring the timely availability of materials for maintenance and repairs, providing quality materials, ensuring safe delivery to operational locations, reducing material wastage and obsolescence, and supporting TCN’s mandate of efficient electricity transmission across Nigeria.
The scale of the transmission network underscores the importance of this function. TCN currently operates across 10 regions, 31 sub-regions and 11 work centres, with 59 330kV transmission substations and 180 132kV substations.
The network also includes 119 330/132kV power transformers and 436 132/33kV transformers, with installed transformation capacity of 16,778MVA at 330kV and 22,912MVA at 132kV.
The Material Control and Stores Department reported several recent interventions, including the construction of protective shades for transformer oil and other materials vulnerable to exposure, the repair and overhaul of a defective 20-tonne Hiab crane and a Steyr low-bed truck.
It also made newly procured haulage equipment operational, including a 100-tonne low-bed truck, a 40-foot, 50-tonne trailer and a 20-foot, 30-tonne trailer, to facilitate the movement of materials to various locations.
The department further reported the successful execution of the 2025 stock-taking exercise, involving user departments across the organisation.
Its inventory records show substantial stocks of critical transmission equipment, including circuit breakers, isolators, protection relays, transformers, transformer oil, battery banks and other specialised equipment.
For instance, the department reported that 1,500 units of transformer oil had been supplied from 2025 to date, with 1,251 units remaining after recorded releases to various regions.
It also reported balances of critical equipment including eight 330kV circuit breakers, five 132kV circuit breakers, seven 33kV circuit breakers, 39 sets of 330kV isolators and 68 sets of 132kV isolators.
The figures demonstrate the operational relationship between infrastructure expansion and material management, as new and existing transmission assets require continuous access to equipment, spares, tools and safety materials for installation, maintenance and repairs.
Vandalism, ageing infrastructure remain challenges
Despite the progress recorded, TCN acknowledged that significant challenges remain in its efforts to strengthen the national grid.
The company identified infrastructure vandalism, right-of-way and compensation issues, ageing assets, funding and liquidity constraints, increasing electricity demand and the need for speedy project execution among the major challenges confronting the transmission sector.
TCN also reported 151 vandalism incidents, stressing that attacks on transmission towers, lines and substations threaten both infrastructure investments and the benefits of increased transmission capacity.
The company said it continues to work with the Office of the National Security Adviser, security agencies and community vigilante structures to protect critical infrastructure.
It cited a July 2026 incident at the Bauchi 330/132kV Substation in which a theft attempt was reportedly foiled by security personnel, with stolen tower members recovered.
Community engagement, TCN said, is increasingly being deployed as part of its infrastructure protection strategy, including engagements with host communities and youth groups.
The Material Control and Stores Department, meanwhile, identified additional staff at zonal stores, new truck drivers and crane operators, as well as additional funding for vehicle fuelling and staff-related expenses, among its operational needs.
Looking ahead, TCN said the priority was no longer simply to expand the transmission network but to convert the gains in capacity into sustained reliability, resilience and efficient service.
The company said a stronger transmission backbone would provide greater capacity for electricity generated by power plants to reach load centres, support industrial growth and accommodate future additions to generation capacity.
With the ongoing combination of infrastructure expansion, preventive maintenance, asset rehabilitation, improved material management and development-partner financing, TCN said it was working towards a transmission network capable of supporting Nigeria’s broader economic ambitions.