Nigeria’s Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has declared force majeure on the Oworonshoki 132/33kV and Lekki 330/132kV transmission substations in Lagos State after floodwaters submerged critical electricity infrastructure.
The company said the declaration became necessary following continuous rainfall that inundated the substations, significantly disrupting operations.
TCN disclosed that while the Lekki 330/132kV transmission substation remains operational, thanks to emergency crews continuously pumping water out of the facility, the Oworonshoki 132/33kV transmission substation has been forced out of service after floodwaters submerged critical electrical equipment.
According to the company, two power transformers at the Oworonshoki facility—TR1 (60MVA) and TR3 (30MVA)—tripped under no-load conditions and could not be restored despite repeated efforts by engineers.
TCN further revealed that all protection and control cables connected to the affected transformers had been completely submerged, making restoration impossible until the floodwaters are successfully evacuated.
“Presently, all power protection and control cables of the two power transformers are submerged in water, and efforts to evacuate the water have proved ineffective as the rain continues to fall,” the company said in a statement issued by its General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah.
The company said its engineers are working around the clock to drain the flooded substation and will conduct integrity tests on the transformers once the water level subsides.
The outage is expected to affect electricity supply to numerous customers of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), whose feeders receive bulk power from the affected transmission facility.
Although the Lekki transmission substation remains operational, TCN warned that continued rainfall could create additional operational challenges unless weather conditions improve.
The latest disruption adds to the growing impact of persistent rainfall that has battered Lagos over the past two weeks, leaving several roads and communities flooded while disrupting transportation, commercial activities, and other essential services.
The declaration of force majeure underscores the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure to extreme weather events. Industry experts have warned that flooding poses increasing risks to electricity transmission facilities in coastal cities such as Lagos.
TCN apologised to affected consumers for the disruption and assured them that every available resource had been deployed to restore the Oworonshoki transmission substation as soon as conditions permit.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause Eko DisCo’s customers receiving power from the substation,” the company added.
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