The Federal Government on Tuesday officially inaugurated the board and management of the Nigerian Independent System Operator, marking the formal unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria into two separate entities.
Under the new structure, the Transmission Service Provider will be responsible for overseeing TCN’s physical infrastructure, which includes transmission towers, power lines, and substations. Meanwhile, NISO will take charge of system operations, managing load allocation from generation companies to distribution companies and eligible customers.
At the induction ceremony, which was organised by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Managing Director/CEO of NISO, Engr. Abdu Mohammed, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to enhancing the reliability and stability of the national electricity grid.
Mohammed explained that the national grid would be managed with transparency and pragmatism, ensuring that all operators adhere to the rules. He stated, “Our major role in the power industry is to bring the needed changes in the system that will enhance availability, reliability, and quality of supply of electricity to Nigerians. In addition to that, we’re supposed to create an atmosphere, an environment of transparency, discipline, and orderliness in the electricity business in Nigeria, meaning that participants in generation, transmission, distribution, and eligible customers behave in a passionate manner in line with the provisions of the market rules and the grid code.”
He added that the introduction of the NISO Board of Management would bring the necessary qualities to ensure the power sector operates smoothly, just like the power sectors in more developed jurisdictions. “The coming on board of the NISO Board of Management will usher these qualities that are required to make the power sector tick, just like other power sectors in bigger jurisdictions,” Mohammed remarked. “Now it’s a journey. It’s not a one-off business. The beginning of the journey starts today. We begin today, and we’re going to hit the ground running. Tomorrow, we’re going to Oshogbo, the National Control Center, to make sure that our operators are aligned to our vision, mission, objectives, and goals as enshrined in the Electricity Act 2023,” he added.
With the national grid having proven to be highly unreliable due to frequent collapses and trippings, Engr. Mohammed assured, “We understand the challenges in the industry, and we’re going to tackle them pragmatically and systematically. We’re going to deal with these problems, like I said, it’s a journey, we’re starting from somewhere, and gradually, definitely with speed and quality, we shall be there to make sure that Nigerians enjoy a steady, reliable electricity supply in the nearest period.”
Two weeks ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade as the Chairman of the NISO Board, with Engr. Abdu Mohammed as Managing Director. Additionally, the President appointed four Executive Directors: Engineer Nafisatu Asabe Ali for Systems Operation, Engineer Shehu Abba-Aliyu for Systems Planning, Dr. Edmund Eje for Market Operations, and Mr. Babajide Ibironke for Finance and Corporate Services.
The Non-Executive Directors include Engineer Lamu Audu, representing Generation; Mrs. Folake Soetan for Distribution; Mr. Tajudeen Giwa-Osagie as Market Expert; Engineer Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz for Transmission; and Alhaji Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Power.
