Akwa Ibom State was thrown into a widespread blackout on Tuesday night after a fault developed on a major transmission line supplying the state, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company has confirmed.

In a notice to customers, PHEDC said the incident occurred on the Aba/Itu 132kV transmission line, which is managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria. The fault led to an immediate disruption of electricity supply across the entire state.

The DisCo explained that technical teams from TCN had already been mobilized to the site to identify the problem and carry out necessary repairs. It added that power would be restored as soon as the repairs are completed.

However, PHEDC did not provide a specific timeline for the restoration of electricity, leaving residents and businesses in the state uncertain about when supply would return.

The company apologised for the inconvenience caused by the outage and appealed to customers to remain patient while engineers work to rectify the fault.

Residents in Uyo, Eket, Ikot Ekpene and other major towns reported a total loss of power shortly after the announcement, with many relying on generators to stay afloat.

Business owners expressed frustration over the blackout, noting that repeated transmission faults have continued to affect productivity and increase operating costs in the state.

Aba/Itu 132kV line is a critical feeder for Akwa Ibom and neighbouring states, and any fault on the line often results in total power loss for the area.

PHEDC assured that it is working closely with TCN to ensure speedy repairs and a prompt return of supply. The company urged customers to disregard any false information and rely only on official updates from the DisCo and TCN.