By Constance Athekame
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has reaffirmed its commitment towards efficient service delivery to boost electricity access across the country.
Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, Chairman, Board of Director, NISO said this at a Senior Leadership Team Board and Executive Management Retreat in Abuja on Wednesday.
The retreat was held for NISO staff in collaboration with The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UK-NIAF) and Phillips Consulting.
Akin-Olugbade said that NISO was in a defining moment in the history of Nigeria’s electricity sector.
“We are no longer in the era of proposals and policy papers.
“We are now in the era of implementation. What used to be ideas on conference tables have become action on national infrastructure.
“The unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the birth of NISO is not just administrative. It is historic, ” he said.
“The Electricity Act of 2023 (amended) gave us not just a law, but a lifeline. It gave structure to long-standing sector expectations. Now, the ball is in our court to play,‘’ he said.
According to him, NISO is not just a new institution but a new idea.
“A system operator that is truly independent; a market coordinator that is truly neutral and a planning authority that is truly strategic,” he said.
Akin-Olugbade said that NISO was responsible for real-time grid operations, long-term system planning, and the coordination and development of the electricity market.
He said that they were not side functions, but central pillars to improve electricity.
“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.
“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 said.
Akin-Olugbade said that the period was a defining moment in the history of Nigeria’s electricity sector, adding that it was no longer in the era of proposals and policy papers.
He said that it was now in the era of implementation.
“What used to be ideas on conference tables have become action on national infrastructure, ‘ he said.
He said that NISO was part of an ecosystem that included other stakeholders, adding that shared purpose, information and accountability were critical to the growth of the power sector.
“Your presence here is not just symbolic, it is strategic. It tells us that we are not alone on this journey.
“It reminds us that the transformation of the power sector is not the responsibility of one agency, but the shared mandate of a reforming nation.
“At NISO, we are working to build an institution that is technically sound and ethically grounded. Our independence is not just on paper; it must be felt in the market.
“It must be seen in our decisions. It must be evident in how we treat all players fairly, no special favors and no hidden hands, ‘’ he said.
Mr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) said that the retreat marked the beginning of a new administrative era.
Gbeleyi said that it was also a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s ongoing journey towards a resilient, transparent and efficient electricity market.
He said that the evolution of NISO into a neutral system and market operator reflected the nation’s collective commitment to the principles that underpin any well-functioning electricity sector.
He said it encompassed 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.
“This board retreat is, therefore, not merely procedural but strategic. This is the time to set the tone for corporate governance excellence, operational discipline, and visionary leadership.
“As custodians of the system’s neutrality, you are tasked with creating the frameworks, safeguards and innovations necessary to enhance reliability,‘’ he said.
Mr Frank Edozie, Director, Power Component, UK-NIAF, said that the gathering was a strategic forum for examining NISO’s mandate and core business.
Edozie said that the gathering was also an opportunity for alignment and cohesion around vision, values and the leadership culture that will define NISO in the years ahead.
“The theme of this retreat, “strategic leadership for grid stability and market transformation in a decentralised, multi-level Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)’ ‘ speaks to the complexity of the task before NISO.
“Nigeria’s electricity market is evolving rapidly and unevenly.
We are seeing decentralisation across value chains, including the recognition of a National Wholesale Electricity Market (NWEM) operated by NISO primarily via the Grid Code,” he said.
Edozie said that over the next two days, the retreat would reflect on that mission from many legal and regulatory, operational and institutional, financial and human angles.
The Managing Director, NISO, Mr Abdu Bello, said that the agency would achieve its target by putting its house in order by making sure it is focussed and attract investment from the private sector.
“We expect to see real-time grid operations, we expect to see modernisation of the grid, we expect to see resilience in the grid’s stability and reliability,‘’ he said.
Abdu also said that government has awarded new contract for the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) which is a system used to monitor and control industrial processes covering the entire nation.
“Work is in progress, We expect that by the end of next year, we should have this SCADA ready, (