TCN rehabilitates four vandalised towers on Afam-Elelenwo 132kV line

By Onu Okorie

Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN has commenced rehabilitation of four electricity transmission towers vandalised along the Afam Independent Power Plant IPP–Elelenwo 132kV Double-Circuit Transmission Line in Rivers State.
The company said the affected towers—T50, T51, T52 and T53—had their structural members removed and carted away by vandals, posing a threat to the integrity and reliability of the transmission network in the area.
In a statement issued by its management on Monday, TCN said the damage was discovered on August 6, 2026, by its lines engineers from the Port Harcourt Region during routine inspection of the transmission corridor.
According to the company, the latest incident represents the fifth vandalism attack on the same transmission line in recent times, underscoring the growing challenge posed by attacks on critical electricity infrastructure.
TCN said rehabilitation work was ongoing to restore the affected towers and ensure the continued integrity of the 132kV line.
The company appealed to communities, security agencies and other stakeholders to work with it to protect transmission infrastructure, warning that repeated vandalism could undermine efforts to strengthen electricity supply and grid stability.
The Afam-IPP–Elelenwo line forms part of the transmission infrastructure serving the electricity network in the Niger Delta region, where the availability of dependable transmission capacity is critical to evacuating power generated in the area.
Wider rehabilitation programme
The latest intervention comes against the backdrop of TCN’s continuing rehabilitation, reconstruction and reinforcement of ageing and damaged transmission infrastructure across the country.
The transmission company has in recent years embarked on projects aimed at replacing obsolete equipment, reconstructing damaged towers, upgrading transmission lines and substations, and expanding the capacity of existing transmission corridors.
These interventions are designed to improve the reliability of the national grid and increase the amount of electricity that can be transmitted from generating plants to distribution networks.
TCN’s rehabilitation efforts have also increasingly focused on transmission lines and towers exposed to vandalism, particularly in areas where repeated attacks have disrupted the integrity of critical infrastructure.
The company has consistently identified vandalism and the theft of transmission equipment as major threats to the stability of the national electricity system. Damage to a single tower can require extensive engineering work and, depending on the location and extent of the damage, can affect the ability of the network to transmit electricity safely.
The latest rehabilitation of the four towers therefore highlights not only the cost of repairing damaged infrastructure but also the wider challenge facing efforts to modernise Nigeria’s transmission network.
TCN has called for stronger collaboration with host communities and security agencies to protect transmission corridors, noting that preventing vandalism is essential to safeguarding investments in the power sector.
For the Afam-IPP–Elelenwo corridor, the immediate priority remains the completion of rehabilitation works on Towers T50 to T53 and the restoration of the affected infrastructure to full operational integrity.
TCN urged all stakeholders to join hands in curbing the menace, stressing that the protection of transmission infrastructure is necessary to sustain the stability of the national grid.