Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering efficient services aimed at expanding electricity access nationwide.
Chairman of NISO’s Board of Directors, Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during a senior leadership retreat organised in collaboration with the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UK-NIAF) and Phillips Consulting.
Akin-Olugbade described the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the establishment of NISO as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s power sector.
“We are no longer in the era of proposals and policy papers. We are now in the era of implementation. What used to be ideas on conference tables have become action on national infrastructure,” he said.
He noted that the amended Electricity Act of 2023 had not only provided legal backing but served as a lifeline for long-anticipated sectoral reform.
“NISO is not just a new institution but a new idea. A system operator that is truly independent; a market coordinator that is truly neutral; and a planning authority that is truly strategic,” he added.
According to Akin-Olugbade, NISO is tasked with real-time grid operations, long-term planning, and market coordination, roles central to enhancing electricity delivery.
“When power fails, everything else, industry, healthcare, education, even security—struggles,” he said.
He described the retreat as a recommitment to excellence and an opportunity for deep reflection, clear alignment, and bold action.
“NISO cannot afford to be business as usual. We must do things differently, do them better, and do them with discipline,” he stated.
Akin-Olugbade underscored the importance of collaboration across the electricity ecosystem, calling for shared responsibility among stakeholders.
“Transformation of the power sector is not the responsibility of one agency but a shared mandate of a reforming nation,” he said.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, described the retreat as a strategic move towards a transparent and resilient electricity market.
He said the evolution of NISO into a neutral system and market operator underscored a national commitment to reliability, transparency, and neutrality in electricity delivery.
“This is the time to set the tone for corporate governance excellence, operational discipline, and visionary leadership,” Gbeleyi noted.
Director of Power Component at UK-NIAF, Mr Frank Edozie, said the retreat provided a strategic platform for examining NISO’s mandate and fostering alignment on vision and leadership culture.
“The theme of this retreat, ‘strategic leadership for grid stability and market transformation in a decentralised, multi-level Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)’—speaks to the complexity of NISO’s mission,” he said.
Edozie observed that the Nigerian electricity market is evolving rapidly and unevenly, with increasing decentralisation and the emergence of a National Wholesale Electricity Market (NWEM) operated through NISO.
Managing Director of NISO, Mr Abdu Bello, emphasised that the agency would meet its goals by ensuring internal focus and creating a business-friendly environment to attract private investment.
“We expect to see real-time grid operations, modernisation of the grid, and improved resilience in grid stability and reliability,” he said.
Bello also disclosed that a new contract has been awarded for the implementation of a nationwide Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor and control industrial processes.
“Work is in progress. We expect that by the end of next year, we should have this SCADA ready,” he said.
(NAN)