The Federal Government has officially unbundled the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) into two separate entities, as it has formally inaugurated the board and management of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
With the spilt, the Transmission Service Provider, (TSP) would henceforth oversee TCN’s physical infrastructure, including transmission towers, power lines, and substations, while, NISO would be in charge of system operations, managing load allocation from generation companies to distribution companies and eligible customers.
Managing Director/CEO of NISO, Abdu Mohammed who spoke at the induction ceremony organised by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on Tuesday in Abuja, explained that the national grid would not only be managed in a transparent and pragmatic manner, but all operators would play by the rules
Mohammed assured that NISO was committed to enhancing the reliability and stability of the national electricity grid.
He said: “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 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 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.
“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.”
On the frequent collapse and trippings of the national grid which has become a major concern, Mohammed gave assurances that NISO understands the challenges bedevilling the industry and was ready 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.”
About two weeks ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Adesegun Akin-Olugbade as NISO Board board chairman, with Engineer Abdu Mohammed as Managing Director.
The President also appointed four Executive Directors: Nafisatu Asabe Ali for Systems Operation, Engineer Shehu Abba-Aliyu for Systems Planning, Edmund Eje for Market Operations, and Babajide Ibironke for Finance and Corporate Services.
The Non-Executive Directors include Lamu Audu, representing Generation; Folake Soetan for Distribution; Tajudeen Giwa-Osagie as Market Expert; Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz for Transmission, and Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Power.
