Nigeria’s power transmission company, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, has declared force majeure on the Ikeja West Osogbo 330kV transmission line after a severe rainstorm caused the collapse of a key tower, raising concerns about the resilience of the country’s grid infrastructure.
The incident, which occurred on April 16, 2026, affected one of the major transmission routes responsible for moving bulk electricity across parts of South West Nigeria.
Force majeure describes an unexpected event beyond human control, such as extreme weather, that prevents the normal execution of operations.
In a statement issued by the General Manager for Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the company said the transmission line tripped during the storm due to a fault along the network.
The fault was traced to a point about 14.9 kilometres from the Ikeja West Ayobo end of the line.
Subsequent inspections by maintenance teams confirmed that Tower No 515 had collapsed after suffering structural failure at its midpoint.
TCN indicated that engineers are currently dismantling the damaged structure while mobilising materials and personnel to rebuild the fallen tower.
The Ikeja West Osogbo 330kV line is a critical component of Nigeria’s national grid, linking Lagos to other parts of the South West and supporting large scale electricity transmission across the region.
The company said it has activated emergency measures to speed up repairs and restore full transmission capacity.
To limit the impact on power supply, TCN noted that alternative transmission lines are being used to maintain electricity flow.
It assured the public that restoration efforts are ongoing and that updates will be communicated as work progresses.