Flooding, Transmission Line Failures Trigger Blackouts In Lagos, Osun

Electricity supply has been disrupted across several communities in Lagos and Osun states after flooding caused by heavy rainfall and failures on two major transmission lines triggered outages within the networks of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

The two electricity distribution companies announced the disruptions, attributing the outages to separate incidents linked to the ongoing heavy rains, with thousands of customers affected across their franchise areas.

EKEDC said electricity allocation to its network had been significantly reduced following the outage of the Oshogbo-Ikeja 330kV transmission line and the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line, forcing the company to implement load shedding across some of its business units.

According to the utility firm, the transmission faults have reduced the volume of electricity available for distribution, leading to intermittent supply in several parts of Lagos.

Communities affected by the disruption include Chevy View Estate, Chevron Drive, Agungi, Alpha Beach, Ikate, Elegushi, Carlton Gate, Kusenla, Victory Park Estate, Oniru, Maroko, Muri Okunola, Ajose Adeogun, Ligali Ayorinde and parts of Aboyade Cole.

Other impacted areas are Morinho Drive, Landmark Road, Igbo Efon, Lekki Tollgate 2, Igbokusu, Gbangbala, Platinum Way, Jakande/Coastal Road, OADC/Mayegun, Ajiran, Chevron Alternative Area and Osapa London.

In a customer notice, EKEDC said some business units would experience load shedding due to the grid disruption.

“Some business units may experience load shedding. Cause: Grid disruption. Osogbo/Ikeja 330kV line down. The Benin/Egbin 330kV line is down. Impact: Reduction in grid allocation,” the company stated.

The distribution company said it is working closely with the national grid operator to restore normal electricity supply once the affected transmission infrastructure is returned to service, although it did not provide a timeline for full restoration.

“We are in constant contact with the national grid operator and will restore supply as soon as the lines are back. Thank you for your patience,” EKEDC added.

In a related development, IBEDC announced that flooding at the Ilerin Injection Substation, following a heavy windstorm and intense rainfall, had interrupted electricity supply to several communities in Osun State.

The company explained that the flooding affected the Isare 11kV, Irogbo 11kV and Mount Carmel 11kV feeders, resulting in outages across Ifewara, Iwara, Bolorunduro, Irogbo, Ayeso, Odo-Oro, Wesley, Express Area, Ilerin, Irojo, Olomilagbala, Iwikun, Isare and adjoining communities.
IBEDC said its engineers had commenced repair and recovery efforts to restore electricity to the affected areas as quickly as possible.

“Our technical team is working to ensure power supply is restored. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience,” the company said.

The twin incidents underscore the vulnerability of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure to extreme weather events and transmission network disruptions, with flooding increasingly affecting critical power facilities during the rainy season.

They also highlight the dependence of distribution companies on the national transmission grid, where faults on major high-voltage lines can significantly reduce power allocation and force widespread load shedding across their networks.

Both distribution companies appealed to customers for patience while restoration efforts continue. No timeline has yet been announced for the complete restoration of electricity supply to all affected communities.