• Eneo schedules multi-hour outages across Adamawa, North, and Far North
• Low water levels at Lagdo dam cut generation on the Northern Interconnected Grid
• Thermal backup plants constrained by limited capacity and fuel shortages

Several cities in Cameroon’s Adamawa, North, and Far North regions are set to experience electricity outages lasting several hours starting January 20, according to a load-shedding schedule released by Eneo Cameroon. In Adamawa, parts of Ngaoundéré will be without power from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., while other towns in the region face outages from midnight to 7 a.m. or from 6 p.m. to midnight.

A similar pattern has been announced in the North region. In Garoua, the main city, power is scheduled to be cut on January 20 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rationing will also affect other localities, including Tcholliré, Figuil, Guider, Dembo, and Mayo Oulo.

In the Far North, Eneo has also planned load shedding in Maroua, Bogo, Maga, Kaélé, Yagoua, Kousséri, and Mora. The schedule covers nearly all cities in the region, with the notable exception of Mokolo.

Dry season pressure on Lagdo

Eneo has linked the rationing to production and grid constraints. In a statement dated January 16, the utility said that the return of the dry season has put the national power system under strain, affecting the continuity of electricity supply in several areas connected to the Southern and Northern Interconnected Grids. The three northern regions depend on the Northern Interconnected Grid, whose main generating asset is the Lagdo hydropower dam on the Benue River.

According to Eneo, rainfall recorded in 2025 across the Benue basin feeding the Lagdo reservoir was insufficient to ensure optimal filling. This has led to lower output at the plant, a situation compounded by what the company described as a severe low-water period in the Lagdo catchment area.

Grid limits and thermal constraints

Beyond hydrological factors, Eneo cited structural issues, including saturation of parts of the transmission network and the vulnerability of certain sections of the distribution grid. These constraints have forced the operator to implement rationing across the entire Northern Interconnected Grid.

To offset hydropower variability, the Northern Interconnected Grid relies on six thermal backup plants. Eneo said their combined capacity stands at 72 MW and that their operation is heavily dependent on fuel supply. The utility pointed to financial difficulties affecting fuel procurement, limiting the scope for thermal generation during periods of stress.

Eneo added that these challenges are not confined to the north. In southern Cameroon, concerns are also emerging over low water levels, particularly in the Sanaga basin, which hosts three hydropower dams, and the Ntem basin, where the Memve’ele plant is located.

Ludovic Amara, Business in Cameroon