TCN owed N457bn by power sector players, says MD

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it is owed N457 billion (as of March 2025) for services rendered in the Nigerian electricity supply industry (NESI).

Sule Abdulaziz, the managing director of TCN, disclosed while speaking on Wednesday at a capacity-building workshop for power sector journalists in Keffi, Nasarawa state.

According to NAN, Abdulaziz was represented by Oluwagbenga Ajiboye, the executive director of transmission service provider at the company.

Themed, ‘Understanding the Critical Role of TCN in Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)’, the workshop was organised to deepen the understanding of journalists covering the power sector.

Abdulaziz, in his remarks, said the outstanding debt includes N217 billion in legacy debt and N240 billion for more recent services rendered.

He said despite the company’s financial constraints, the TCN recorded significant operational improvements, including an increase in its wheeling capacity to 8,701 megawatts.

However, the managing director said the sector continues to grapple with persistent challenges such as vandalism and inadequate funding, which undermine efforts to optimise performance — even as major investments are being made in the transmission infrastructure.

The TCN boss also stressed the need for greater investment in the distribution segment of the power value chain, warning that any weak link in the sector could compromise power delivery to end-users.

“The electricity value chain must not be broken. Its strength must be uniform to successfully deliver electricity to consumers,” Abdulaziz said.

Also speaking at the event, Aminu Tahir, the general manager of project coordination at the TCN, drew attention to the challenge of unutilised substations across the country.

Tahir said several newly completed substations are not being used due to the inability to link them to transmission lines.

He attributed the delay to persistent right-of-way issues, which have continued to stall progress on critical infrastructure projects.

Despite the setbacks, the general manager said the TCN had secured funding from various international development partners to support its ongoing expansion drive.

He said the partners are the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On her part, Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s general manager of public affairs, said the workshop was part of efforts to close the information gap between the company and the media.

She said the workshop offers journalists a platform to interact directly with TCN experts and get firsthand information on the company’s activities.