Ikom Blackout: Enoh Secures Two-Month Power Restoration Assurance

CROSS RIVER, IKOM – The prolonged blackout in Ikom, Cross River State, has triggered a federal intervention, with Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, assuring that electricity supply to the area will be restored within two months.

Senator John Owan Enoh disclosed this after a working meeting with Tegbe at the Ministry of Power in Abuja on Monday, September 15, 2026, saying Ikom had been mapped to benefit from a ₦12 billion federal power-intervention envelope covering various locations across the country.

Enoh said the blackout had reportedly resulted from the collapse of about five transmission towers responsible for supplying electricity to the area.

According to him, the prolonged outage was more than a temporary inconvenience, as it had increased the cost of living, weakened trade and forced businesses and industries to rely heavily on generators.

“The challenge caused by these collapsed towers is not a seasonal inconvenience. It is a structural constraint that raises the cost of living, weakens trade, and keeps industry on generators rather than on the grid,” Enoh said.

He described Ikom as economically important to Cross River State and the Central Senatorial District, stressing that the prolonged power outage should not be allowed to continue.

Enoh said Tegbe made a direct intervention during the meeting and subsequently assured him that power supply to Ikom would be restored within two months.

He added that reliable electricity was critical to traders, artisans, farmers and manufacturers whose activities depend on stable power supply.

“Government’s first duty in the power sector is to convert generated power into energised lines and working towers,” the senator said.

Enoh, who is Minister of State for Industry, said his first ministerial roundtable had focused on energy security and infrastructure because of their importance to productive activity and industrial development.

He also pledged to monitor implementation and support coordination among the Ministry of Power, the relevant electricity distribution company and security agencies to ensure that the transmission infrastructure remains protected after reconstruction.

“I will continue to track implementation closely,” Enoh said, adding that the people of Ikom should have the opportunity to enjoy reliable electricity once the damaged infrastructure is restored.