The Federal Government has commenced the construction of a new National Control Centre for the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) in Osogbo, Osun State, as part of efforts to improve the management and reliability of the national electricity grid.
The new facility is expected to replace the existing control centre, which officials said has been in operation for 64 years.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by his Special Adviser on Legal and Compliance Matters, Bashir Maidugu, performed the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday. The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, was also present.
The facility is being developed with modern systems that will enable NISO operators to monitor activities across the national grid more effectively and respond faster when faults or other disruptions occur.
According to the Federal Government, the centre will include an integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, large display screens and analytical tools for monitoring grid performance.
The technology is expected to help operators detect potential problems early, coordinate preventive maintenance and make better use of available generation and transmission capacity.
The new centre will also support the integration of renewable energy into the national grid and improve Nigeria’s participation in the West African Power Pool, which links electricity systems across several West African countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tegbe said modernising the control centre was necessary to improve coordination across the electricity system.
He noted that a more advanced control facility could help reduce avoidable disruptions, but stressed that reliable electricity also depends on other parts of the power value chain, including gas supply to power plants, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks.
NISO Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abdu Bello Mohammed, said the project would strengthen the organisation’s ability to monitor the grid and make quicker decisions during system disturbances.
He added that upgraded telemetry, SCADA and automatic metering systems would provide operators with better data for grid management, market settlement and electricity system security.
Mohammed also highlighted the need to train personnel to operate the new systems, noting that modern infrastructure would only be effective when supported by skilled operators.
The project is expected to strengthen the coordination of Nigeria’s electricity grid and provide NISO with infrastructure capable of supporting the country’s increasingly interconnected power system.
