TCN Deploys New Analytics Platform to Cut Grid Outages, Improve Transmission Reliability

 

By Pan Afric Reporters

 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has unveiled a new Load & Outage Analytics platform capable of providing real-time visibility into transmission network performance, analysing outages and generating reliability reports within minutes, in a move aimed at strengthening grid stability and reducing losses across the country’s electricity transmission system.

 

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Management of TCN and signed on August 27, 2026, following a technical presentation and live demonstration of the platform by the company’s Operations Department at its corporate headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, August 26.

 

The new platform, according to TCN, is designed to address longstanding challenges associated with fragmented outage data, manual reporting, inconsistent reliability calculations and limited visibility across the transmission network.

 

Speaking at the demonstration, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, represented by the General Manager, Project Coordination, Engr. Aminu Tahir, commended the Operations Department for developing the platform and integrating it into the company’s operations.

 

Abdulaziz said the technology had already improved visibility of the transmission network, even though the full system was still being developed, stressing that better understanding of load patterns and supply-demand relationships was essential to tackling technical and commercial losses.

 

He said improved load management and grid stability would contribute to fewer outages, greater operational efficiency and reduced economic losses associated with prolonged interruptions.

 

The main presentation was delivered by the General Manager, Operations, Engr. Godwin Afamefuna Aguiyi, who identified fragmented data stored in spreadsheets across different regions, slow manual reporting processes, inconsistent computation of key performance indicators and the absence of a comprehensive audit trail as major weaknesses in TCN’s existing reliability reporting system.

 

According to Aguiyi, these challenges could delay management decisions and weaken the accuracy of national assessments of transmission network reliability.

 

He introduced the new Load & Outage Analytics platform as a Streamlit-based application comprising 13 modules designed to unify and streamline transmission operations and reliability reporting.

 

The platform, which was conceived and developed entirely in-house by TCN’s Operations Department, provides regional, station, transformer and feeder-level views for load analysis, while automatically classifying outages and generating reliability key performance indicator reports.

 

It can also produce board-ready reports within minutes instead of the several days required under the existing manual reporting process.

 

The system incorporates role-based access, structured data uploads and full audit trails to strengthen accountability. Individual login credentials are expected to replace shared logins and unmanaged spreadsheet access, while a TCN-branded interface would facilitate user adoption and reduce training requirements.

 

Demonstrating the platform with July 2026 outage data, Aguiyi said 3,714 outages were logged nationwide during the month, resulting in 48,603 megawatt-hours (MWh) of load lost.

 

He disclosed that the Lagos Region accounted for 20,693 MWh of the recorded load loss, comprising 572 emergency outages, 306 forced outages and 129 planned outages.

 

The TCN official further revealed that 22 feeders exceeded allowable outage hours during the period, with associated losses valued at about ₦720.33 million.

 

Giving an example of the scale of the problem, he said the OBOSI feeder in Onitsha recorded a loss of 1,063.74 MWh at Band A rates.

 

Aguiyi, however, clarified that the feeder-level data represented the segment of load and outages for which TCN was accountable in July, and should be distinguished from outages attributable to Distribution Companies.

 

He explained that the platform also incorporates the Fault Attribution Ratio (FAR), a regulatory mechanism used to determine responsibility for service interruptions between TCN and DisCos.

 

Under the applicable Service Level Agreement, he said, TCN’s allowable downtime responsibility is 30 per cent, while DisCos account for 70 per cent, stressing that the percentages represent permitted downtime responsibilities rather than a fixed allocation for every individual outage.

 

According to him, each outage is separately attributed based on the identified fault type and the responsible network segment.

 

He said the system would provide clearer attribution of responsibility and compensation, thereby strengthening accountability among electricity market participants.

 

Aguiyi added that, when fully deployed alongside appropriate interface energy measurement devices, the platform could also support monitoring of the Transmission Losses Factor (TLF) across the network.

 

He recommended nationwide deployment of the system, integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time data capture and upgrades to infrastructure, including operational systems, display screens and internet connectivity at transmission stations.

 

Also speaking, the Executive Director, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Mrs. Abiodun Afolabi-Fadahunsi, reaffirmed management’s commitment to equipping TCN’s technical teams with the tools required to sustain national grid stability.

 

She said engineers and system operators needed appropriate technological resources to maintain seamless operations, while commending their professionalism and resilience in managing the transmission network.

 

Afolabi-Fadahunsi said management was monitoring daily grid reports to identify and resolve operational challenges in real time.

 

The unveiling of the platform represents a significant step towards digitising transmission network monitoring and reliability management in Nigeria’s electricity sector.

 

If fully deployed, the system could significantly reduce reliance on manual and fragmented outage reporting, improve the identification of feeder-level inefficiencies, strengthen accountability between TCN and DisCos and provide management with faster and more reliable operational intelligence.

 

TCN Management said the initiative remained part of its broader commitment to improving the efficiency, stability and reliability of Nigeria’s transmission network.

 

The company, however, noted that successful nationwide deployment would require adequate infrastructure, connectivity, data integration and cooperation among relevant stakeholders.