Tunde Bakare
Nigeria is scaling up grid capacity across the country hoping to increase power supply from the current 5,500mw by 50 per cent in the next 12 to 18 months.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Director General (DG), Dr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, stated this at the retreat for Senior Leadership Team of the newly-formed Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) in Abuja.
He noted that with an existing nameplate of 14,000mw, supply can be raised considerably within the period.
According to Gbeleyi, with the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the creation of an independent system operator, Nigerians should expect improved wheeling of electricity in the short term.
The DG, went on to say, “We will begin to see improved, reliable, and steady power supply to Nigerians as NISO is now fully unbundled from the former transmission company of Nigeria, which is now left with its own licence of transmission service provider, responsible for building and maintaining the national infrastructure grid.
“Now NISO is responsible for systems operation, market operation, and strategic planning of the grid. So we expect to see significant improvements in the months and years ahead. Where we stand today, we have about 5,500mw of power being wheeled on a day-to-day basis.
“Compare that with the fact that the total nameplate capacity for generation in the country is a bit above 14,000mw. So it’s not a tall order for us to believe that in the near term, 12 to 18 months, we can scale up capacity, to probably increase that 5,500 by a minimum of 50 per cent, because the generation capacity is there,”.
He further added that if this grid capacity can be increased there’s inbuilt resilience, chances are that as the distribution infrastructure is being scaled up, electricity supply will rise significantly by up to 2,750mw, as he disclosed that the Federal Government has taken about $500 million from the World Bank in loan to finance the upgrade of the distribution infrastructure network.
He explained that within that scope, it’s going to provide 3.2 million meters for Nigerians.
With the presidential initiative, which is framed to provide another 2 to 3 million meters the number will hit 7 million soon, he said, adding, “So we expect to see significant improvement in terms of electricity access for all Nigerians,” he said.
Earlier, he stated that the evolution of NISO into a neutral system operator (and market operator) reflects the government’s collective commitment to the principles that underpin any well-functioning electricity sector that encompasses reliability, transparency, and neutrality.
“These are more than just technical terms and ideals but pillars essential to the confidence of market participants, the fate of investors, and more importantly the trust of the Nigerian people,” Gbeleyi added.
Chairman of the NISO Board, Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, while speaking said that the organization will focus on three key pillars, including operational efficiency, financial prudence, and governance.
He added that if the organisation can adhere to the three pillars, it will fulfil the expectations of the Nigerian public, stressing that the sector is no longer in the era of proposals and policy papers, but in the era of implementation.
The NISO he stressed is not just a new institution, but a system operator that is truly independent, market coordinator that is truly neutral and a planning authority that is truly strategic.
“We are responsible for real-time grid operations, long-term system planning, and the coordination and development of the electricity market. These are not side functions, they are central pillars. Because when power fails, everything else, industry, healthcare, education, even security struggles.
“This retreat, therefore, is not just a break from routine. It is a recommitment to excellence. It is our opportunity to think deeply, to align clearly, and to act boldly. Because NISO cannot afford to be business as usual. We must be business unusual. We must do things differently, do them better, and do them with discipline,” he noted.
The Managing Director of NISO, Abdu Mohammed, stated that the organisation remains focused on fulfilling its mandate as well as be able to attract investment from the private sector.
“At the end of the day, we expect to see real-time grid operations. We expect to see modernisation of the grid. We expect to see resilience in the grid, stability and reliability,” he said.
Executive Director, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Tajudeen Ahmed, stressed that its role is to ensure that assets are professionally run, pledging that MOFI will not interfere in the day-to-day running of NISO.
“We are not operators, but we will give them all the necessary backing, whether financially or any way that they will function very well. So MOFI is not an operator, we will not interfere in their operations, but we will be resilient in ensuring that they are doing the right thing,” Ahmed said.
Frank Edozie of the UK-Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) one of the development partners, said the theme of the retreat, “Strategic Leadership for Grid Stability and Market Transformation in a Decentralised, Multi-level NESI”, speaks to the complexity of the sector.
He said, “At UKNIAF, we have supported several reform institutions across Nigeria’s power sector and if there is one insight we can share from that experience, it is that institutions succeed when leadership is clear-minded, collaborative and committed to learning. The learning culture you build here will serve you long after this retreat,”.