The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced a 20 minute power outage in Abuja scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026, as part of its ongoing annual preventive maintenance programme targeting the Gwarinpa Suleja transmission corridor.
The brief but necessary interruption will affect electricity consumers in Suleja and its surrounding communities, giving engineers a window to carry out critical upgrades on key transmission infrastructure.
According to TCN, the outage will directly impact customers served by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Suleja Township, FCT College of Education, Field Base, Zuba, Sabon Wuse, and surrounding environments.
The maintenance work centres on the Gwarinpa Suleja 132/33kV Line 2 bay switchgear and its associated equipment, and is scheduled to run between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the day of the exercise.
In a statement issued on Friday, TCN explained that the temporary interruption is required to enable a load transfer from the Gwarinpa Suleja Line 2 to the Kubwa Suleja Line 1. This transfer, the company noted, is designed to keep the outage short and prevent a more prolonged disruption to power supply.
“Consequently, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) will experience a 20-minute interruption of power supply only to customers in Suleja Township, FCT College of Education, Field Base, Zuba, Sabon Wuse and environs,” TCN said.
The transmission company further clarified that the load switching process is a standard safety measure that allows maintenance teams to work on the affected equipment without cutting power for an extended period.
“The interruption is to enable the transfer of load from Gwarinpa Suleja Line 2 to Kubwa Suleja Line 1 to facilitate the maintenance exercise without a prolonged outage,” the company added.
TCN emphasised that this exercise is not an isolated incident but forms part of its annual preventive maintenance programme, a routine initiative aimed at strengthening the reliability and stability of Nigeria’s power transmission network.
By proactively servicing switchgear and related equipment, the company says it can reduce the risk of unplanned outages and equipment failures in the long run even though it means short-term inconvenience for residents.
Acknowledging the disruption this may cause, TCN issued an apology to consumers in the affected areas, noting that the brief power outage in Abuja is a necessary trade-off for long-term network reliability.
While a 20 minute power outage in Abuja may cause temporary inconvenience for residents of Suleja, Zuba, Sabon Wuse and neighbouring communities, the exercise underscores TCN’s continued commitment to maintaining a stable and dependable electricity transmission network across the region. Residents are advised to plan accordingly for the brief interruption between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26.
