National Grid: NISO Begins Operations As FG Splits TCN

THE Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), on Tuesday, April 8, commenced operations, following the formally inaugurated of its Board and Management, after the Federal Government unbundled the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) into two separate entities.
Under the new structure, the Transmission Service Provider (TSP) will oversee TCN’s physical infrastructure, including transmission towers, power lines and substations, while NISO takes charge of system operations, managing load allocation from generation companies to distribution companies and eligible customers.
At the induction ceremony organised by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), NISO’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Abdu Mohammed, expressed the company’s commitment to enhancing the reliability and stability of the national electricity grid.
He explained that the national grid would be managed in a transparent and pragmatic manner, ensuring that all operators play by the rules, adding: “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, we’re supposed to create an atmosphere, an environment of transparency, discipline and orderliness in 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.
“The coming 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.
“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 the National Control Centre in Osogbo to make sure our operators are aligned to our vision, mission, objectives and goals as enshrined in the Electricity Act 2023.”
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu two weeks ago appointed Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade as NISO Board Chairman, with Mohammed, an engineer, as Managing Director, as well as four Executive Directors- Nafisatu Asabe Ali for Systems Operation; Shehu Abba-Aliyu for Systems Planning; Edmund Eje for Market Operations; and Babajide Ibironke for Finance and Corporate Services.
The Non-Executive Directors are Lamu Audu, representing Generation; Folake Soetan for Distribution; Tajudeen Giwa-Osagie as Market Expert; Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz for Transmission; and Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power.