Akwa Ibom Goes Dark As Aba–Itu Transmission Line Fails

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, says the total blackout currently being experienced across Akwa Ibom State was caused by a snapped conductor on the Aba–Itu 132kV transmission line.

In a notice issued at the weekend, the Disco said the fault, which occurred on a major transmission corridor belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), immediately shut down supply to the entire state.

PHED said, “Please note that the outage currently experienced in the entire Akwa Ibom State is due to a cut conductor on the Aba/Itu 132kV line.”

The company urged residents and businesses to remain calm, assuring them that the TCN technical team had already commenced repair work to restore supply.

“We appeal to our esteemed customers in the state to exercise patience as the TCN technical team is working to rectify the fault and restore power as soon as possible,” the Disco said.

The outage has disrupted commercial activities, with hotels, SMEs, and manufacturing hubs in Uyo, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, and Oron forced to switch to diesel generators amid rising energy costs.

The blackout further highlights Nigeria’s fragile transmission backbone and the recurrent vulnerability of single-source power feeds into major economic zones.

PHED, however, apologised for the hardship caused, stressing that its hands were tied since the damaged line is under TCN’s operational control.

“All inconveniences are regretted,” the management added.

The company did not give a restoration timeline, but TCN engineers are expected to conclude repairs once the tower section is secured and energised for testing.

Recalls that PHED had previously announced plans to install over 135,000 meters across its franchise areas as part of efforts to deepen transparency, improve revenue collection, and strengthen customer trust.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHED, Mr Ete Pinnick, disclosed this recently during the PHED/NERC Customer Enlightenment and Complaint Resolution Meeting in Port Harcourt, themed “We Learn Together, We Grow Together.”

According to Pinnick, the initiative aligns with the company’s drive for “cultural transformation” aimed at improving customer relations and promoting accountability in energy consumption.

“Our metering percentage today is about 60 per cent. Right now, we have 85,000 metres we’re installing, and by the end of that programme, we should reach about 135,000,” Pinnick stated.

“We have the Meter Acquisition Fund, MAF, Phase Two, with 16,000 meters allocated to our region, and the MAP programme running concurrently. If it were up to me, we would not have any postpaid customers,” he added.

The PHED boss assured that the company is prioritising its Maximum Demand customers, noting that by year-end, all will be fully metered.

He said this is part of the firm’s broader goal to achieve 100 per cent metering in the next three years.