The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has given assurance of achieving operational efficiency, financial prudence and governance in system and market operations in Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
NISO Board Chairman, Adesegun Akin-Olugbade gave the assurance while speaking at the opening session of a two-day Senior Leadership Retreat of NISO in Abuja. The theme is “Strategic leadership for grid stability and market transformation in a decentralised, multi-level NESI”.
Noting that reforming and transforming the nation’s electricity sector is a shared responsibility, he said with the coming of NISO in place, “We are 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 has 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. The Electricity Act of 2023 (amended), gave us not just a law, but a lifeline. It gave structure to long-standing sector expectations. And now, the ball is in our court to play.
NISO is not just a new institution. It is a new idea. A system operator that is truly independent. A market coordinator that is truly neutral. 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.”
Dr. Akin-Olugbade who maintained that when power fails, everything else, industry, healthcare, education, even security struggles, said that the retreat was a recommitment to excellence and an opportunity to think deeply, to align clearly, and to act boldly in doing things differently to achieve positive outcomes.
Also speaking, the Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji A. Gbeleyi, said the retreat provides opportunity 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, as we look towards having a grid that is more dynamic, resilient and increasingly interconnected with new technologies and energy sources”, he charged.
He noted that though the journey ahead would no doubt be complex, but with collaboration, accountability, and unwavering commitment, the Board and Management of NISO can rise to become a beacon of trust in Nigeria’s power sector transformation.
On their part, UK- Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), represented by Frank Edozie, explained that institutions succeed when leadership is clear-minded, collaborative and committed to learning.
According to him, “The learning culture you build here will serve you long after this retreat. So, we encourage you to engage fully, to ask questions, to reflect openly and to invest in the relationships that will carry this institution forward through challenges, through growth, and toward the kind of impact this sector urgently needs.”
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) represented by the Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe C. Akpeneye, reminded NISO management and staff that this is a new opportunity that they must make best use of for the benefits of Nigerians.
He said the grid is the most critical infrastructure, besides being a significant national infrastructure of the country, it serves national security.
Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, reassured the commitment of the management and staff of NISO to realize the objectives of improving the nation’s electricity supply reliability.
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