The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has transferred an interim national power grid control facility to the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) as part of efforts to strengthen electricity grid management across the country.
The facility, located at the Gwagwalada 330kV Transmission Substation in Abuja, will serve as a temporary National Control Centre while work continues on the permanent control centre.
In a statement issued on Thursday by TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the company said the handover took place on June 30 and marks a key step in improving the coordination and reliability of Nigeria’s electricity transmission network.
Speaking during the ceremony, TCN Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sule Abdulaziz, represented by the General Manager of Project Coordination, Amini Tahir, said the completion and transfer of the facility signals the beginning of a new phase in the management of the national grid.
He explained that the building was developed to accommodate the newly deployed Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System (SCADA/EMS), telecommunications equipment, and operational personnel. According to him, NISO will use the centre to oversee grid operations until the permanent National Control Centre becomes operational.
Abdulaziz said the transfer would allow NISO to take full responsibility for operating and maintaining the facility, adding that the move is expected to improve system reliability, strengthen grid management and enhance electricity service delivery.
He also acknowledged the support of the World Bank in delivering the project and reaffirmed TCN’s commitment to working with stakeholders to modernise Nigeria’s power transmission infrastructure.
Receiving the facility on behalf of NISO, the organisation’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abdu Mohammed Bello, represented by General Manager of System Planning, Kabir Adamu, described the handover as an important milestone for the country’s electricity sector.
He said the interim control centre would support the ongoing deployment of the SCADA/EMS system, providing the operational environment needed to improve real-time monitoring and management of the national grid.
Adamu assured that NISO would manage the facility effectively while continuing to collaborate with TCN and other stakeholders to enhance power system operations.
TCN’s Project Manager, Samuel Fakinlade, said the equipment and personnel currently operating from the interim facility will be moved to the permanent National Control Centre once construction is completed, after which the building will revert to TCN.
The interim centre houses advanced SCADA/EMS and telecommunications systems designed to support real-time monitoring, control and coordination of Nigeria’s electricity transmission network pending the completion of the permanent facility.
