TCN secures $1.4bn from partners for grid expansion

THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has secured about $1.4 billion funding from multilateral development agencies.

The agencies include as the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Agence Française de Development (AFD) and others for national grid expansion.

Consequently, this resulted in TCN’s 8,700MW current transmission wheeling capacity, the record peak transmission of 5,801.84MW achieved in March 2025 as well as the addition of more than 8,500 megavolt-amperes (MVA) in transformer capacity all aimed at supporting infrastructure development.

Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider (TSP), TCN, Engineer Oluwagbenga Ajiboye, stated this at a media workshop organised for energy correspondents in Keffi, Nasarawa State, themed “Assessing the Impact and Challenges of Transmission Network in Nigeria”.

He said the company had recorded measurable investments, project deliveries and operational improvements as part of efforts to make the transmission network more resilient and capable of supporting increased electricity supply.

Delivering a paper titled “TCN Milestones and Challenges in Nigeria’s Power Sector”, Ajiboye said the workshop provided a platform for stakeholders and the media to examine developments, achievements and persistent challenges within the electricity transmission sector.

He added that the revenue generated by the company and the development agencies’ funds are being channeled to the rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure with the commissioning of 89 new power transformers resulting in TCN’s capacity to deliver bulk electricity and major 330kV transmission network projects had improved evacuation routes, flexibility and resilience.

READ ALSO: TCN, NISO deepen synergy to drive power sector

Ajiboye called for special courts or designation of magistrates to handle cases of energy infrastructure sabotage, saying the measure would aid speedy trials and convictions to reduce rising vandalism of transmission assets to the barest minimum.

He said several transmission towers across the North-Central, North-West and South-East had been vandalised in the last 12 months, with conductors, tower members and bolts removed and carted away by vandals who even when caught, are easily left off the hook, despite the gravity of offences committed which is threatening electricity transmission in the country.

He also appealed to the Federal Government to introduce stiffer penalties for vandalism of transmission assets, saying the TCN has continuously engaged the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Justice on the need for a special framework for prosecuting power infrastructure crimes.

“The police only charge suspects for theft and the court will release them by the following day. There are no laid-down consequences specified for vandalism of transmission towers and lines. That is why the act continues.

When someone destroys a 330kV tower that supplies power to five states and the only charge is theft of scrap metal, then released on bail the next day, what deterrence exists? We cannot continue to invest billions in rebuilding towers only for them to be pulled down again because the legal system treats it as petty crime,” the ED lamented.