The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has called for collective action among stakeholders in the electricity sector to tackle growing operational challenges threatening the stability, reliability and resilience of Nigeria’s power grid.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, made the call at a two-day workshop on “Strengthening Grid Stability: A Collaborative Workshop for NESI Stakeholders,” held at the Jebba Power Station.
Mohammed said the increasing complexity of Nigeria’s power system, marked by generation and transmission constraints, changing demand patterns, frequency excursions and voltage-security challenges, required coordinated action across the entire electricity value chain.
He stressed that ensuring grid stability was a shared responsibility involving NISO, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Generation Companies (GenCos), Distribution Companies (DisCos), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), policymakers and other industry stakeholders.
According to him, maintaining a secure and resilient grid requires more than isolated technical interventions, noting that timely operational information, effective frequency and voltage control, adequate reserve management and strict compliance with the Grid Code are equally important.
Mohammed identified frequency excursions as one of the challenges requiring closer attention, explaining that they could be triggered by sudden losses of generation or load, forecasting and scheduling inaccuracies, faults, inadequate system inertia and the response characteristics of generating units during system disturbances.
He said NISO’s ongoing compliance monitoring had further demonstrated the importance of adherence to technical performance standards, including Free Governor Control requirements.
The NISO chief executive, however, noted that the broader lesson was that grid stability could only be achieved when all segments of the industry worked together.
“Grid stability is a shared responsibility and can only be achieved through coordinated action across all segments of the industry,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of looking beyond immediate operational challenges to the future development of Nigeria’s electricity network.
According to him, as the country pursues new generation projects, transmission infrastructure and other greenfield investments, system planning must remain central to ensuring that new resources are successfully integrated into the national grid.
He said such planning would require careful consideration of transmission adequacy, system strength, operational flexibility, reserve requirements, reliability standards and future electricity demand.
Mohammed urged participants to use the two-day workshop to move from identifying problems to developing practical and measurable solutions capable of strengthening grid operations.
He said the discussions should produce a shared understanding of the most significant threats to grid stability, clear commitments to improving frequency and voltage control, and practical coordination mechanisms for managing disturbances.
The workshop is also expected to strengthen the alignment between day-to-day grid operations and long-term system planning, while establishing a mechanism for monitoring agreed actions and measuring improvements in grid reliability and resilience.
Mohammed reaffirmed NISO’s commitment to deepening collaboration with TCN, GenCos, DisCos, NERC, policymakers and other stakeholders, saying the objective is to support the development of a grid that is stable, resilient, responsive and capable of sustaining Nigeria’s economic growth and development aspirations.
He encouraged participants to openly share experiences, challenge existing assumptions and contribute practical solutions to the challenges confronting the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
The workshop was hosted by Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited at the Jebba Hydro Power Plant and brought together representatives of the Federal Ministry of Power, NERC, NISO, TCN, GenCos, DisCos, industry experts and technical professionals.
The gathering highlights the growing importance of collective action in strengthening Nigeria’s electricity grid as the power system becomes increasingly complex and the country seeks a more reliable and sustainable electricity supply.