Find lasting solution to Nigeria’s electricity, grid challenges – Shettima to board members
Vice-President Kashim Shettima
Find lasting solution to Nigeria’s electricity, grid challenges – Shettima to board members
* New committee formed to handle electricity related matter to attract investors.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged members of the board of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) Limited to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in their efforts to improve electricity generation, transmission and distribution across the country.
Speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration of the newly constituted board at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima said expectations were high and called on members to leverage their collective expertise to deliver on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the power sector.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration remains resolute in its commitment to building a resilient, transparent and investor-friendly power sector. The establishment of NISO is a decisive step towards realising this vision,” the vice-president said.
“The government will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that NISO operates independently and efficiently, in line with global best practices.”
Shettima said the appointment of the NISO board was part of the administration’s drive to reform and strengthen the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), and noted that the operator’s mandate—comprising both the System Operator (SO) and Market Operator (MO)—was central to maintaining the stability and security of the national grid.
He said President Tinubu’s approval of the NISO board was in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Electricity Act 2023, which provides for the appointment of a competent leadership team to drive the organisation’s mandate.
“The rigorous and transparent selection process has produced a board and management team with the requisite experience and expertise to steer NISO towards success,” he said.
On the future of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Shettima said the company was expected to transfer all assets and liabilities related to market and system operations to NISO, in line with Section 15(2)(b) of the Act. However, TCN would retain its transmission service provider licence.
“TCN will continue to play a pivotal role in the power sector by maintaining responsibility for transmission assets and undertaking functions essential to the development and maintenance of Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure,” he added.
Earlier, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said NISO would be responsible for ensuring the efficiency and stability of the national grid, transparency in market operations and the quality of service received by electricity consumers.
He outlined the agency’s key mandates to include real-time coordination of power generation to meet national demand, optimisation of energy dispatch to ensure grid stability and cost efficiency, and enforcement of market discipline in line with grid codes and market rules.
The minister emphasised the importance of collaboration with stakeholders such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), state electricity regulators, distribution and generation companies, among others.
In his remarks, NERC Chairman Engr Sanusi Garba reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to an efficient and independent power sector, calling the establishment of NISO a significant step in achieving this goal.
President Tinubu appointed members of the NISO board in March, with Dr Adesegun Olugbade named as board chairman.
