Why prolonged power outage in Oji River, environs - MainPower DisCo

 

Residents of Oji River, Achi and several surrounding communities in Enugu State are experiencing an extended power outage following a technical fault at a key transmission facility, electricity officials have said.

The utility provider, MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL), attributed the disruption to a breaker failure at the Oji River Transmission Station, a facility operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Speaking in Enugu on Thursday, MEDL’s Head of Communications, Emeka Ezeh, said the fault had led to a loss of supply on the Achi 33kV feeder, a critical distribution line serving multiple communities across the area.

The outage has affected a wide stretch of towns and villages, including Ahani, Amaetiti, Ofia N’Oji, Obodoukwu, Mmaku, Awa, Mgbidi, and parts of Inyi and Akpugoeze, among others.

Mr Ezeh explained that engineers from TCN are currently working to replace the faulty breaker, describing the repair process as ongoing. He added that MEDL is coordinating closely with the transmission operator to expedite restoration.

“The outage is directly linked to infrastructure at the transmission level,” he said, noting that electricity distribution companies rely on TCN’s bulk power supply to deliver electricity to end users.

He apologised for the disruption, acknowledging the impact on households and businesses, and assured customers that supply would be restored immediately after repairs are completed.

Nigeria’s power sector is structured such that generation, transmission and distribution are handled by separate entities, making faults at transmission points particularly disruptive, as they can cut off supply to entire feeder lines and the communities they serve.

While no timeline has been given for full restoration, officials say efforts are being intensified to resolve the issue and resume normal electricity supply.