Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday directed the members and Board of Directors of the Nigerian Independent System Operator Limited to ensure the stability, reliability and security of the national grid.
He urged them to maintain the highest standards of integrity and expertise in carrying out their duties of ensuring seamless generation, transmission and distribution of electricity nationwide.
Shettima gave the marching orders when he inaugurated the newly constituted Board of Directors of NISO at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed details of the meeting in a statement titled ‘At inauguration of NISO board of directors: VP Shettima urges members to fix electricity, national grid challenges.’
According to the VP, while expectations are high, members of the Board will need to utilise their collective expertise and individual capabilities to achieve the ambitious goals of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the nation’s power sector within a short period.
He firmly told members of the board that while the Tinubu administration is resolute about building a resilient, transparent and investment-friendly power sector, it is their duty to actualise the mandate.
“President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains steadfast in its commitment to building a resilient, transparent, and investment-friendly power sector. The establishment of NISO is a decisive step towards achieving this vision. The government will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that NISO operates independently and efficiently, in line with global best practices.
“We urge the Board and Management of NISO to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and dedication in carrying out their duties.
“Your leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, ensuring sustainable development and economic growth,” he declared.
The Vice President emphasised why members of the NISO Board of Directors were appointed, pointing out that it is part of the administration’s “unwavering commitment to reforming and strengthening the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.”
He maintained that NISO, which consists of the System Operator and Market Operator, has a critical role in “ensuring the stability, reliability, and security of the national grid.”
Senator Shettima noted that President Tinubu’s approval of the NISO Board fulfils the provisions of Section 30(2) of the EA 2023, which stipulates the appointment of a professionally competent and capable 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, expertise, and leadership qualities to steer NISO towards success,” he added.
On the future of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Vice President said, “While TCN is 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, it will retain its transmission service provider license.
“Strategically, 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 power transmission infrastructure.
“This role will be carried out in accordance with the terms of its license, as issued by NERC, and the relevant provisions of the Act.
“Going forward, TCN will prioritise enhancing grid infrastructure, strengthening regional interconnections, and facilitating investment in critical transmission upgrades to meet the evolving needs of the electricity market.”
Earlier, the Minister of Power, Chief Adelabu Adebayo, said NISO is saddled with the responsibilities of determining “the efficiency and stability of the national grid, the transparency of market operations and ultimately, the quality of service experienced by electricity consumers across the country.”
He further highlighted some of NISO’s key mandates, including “coordinating electricity generation in real time to meet national demand, optimising energy dispatch in a manner that guarantees grid stability and delivers the most cost-efficient outcomes, enforcing market discipline and transparency, ensuring that all market participants operate within clearly defined obligations in the grid code market rules, among others.”
The Minister underscored the relevance of maintaining synergy with key stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, State Electricity Regulators, Distribution Companies, Generation Companies, and other Market actors.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the National Electric Regulatory Commission, Sanusi Garba, said the Tinubu administration remains steadfast in its commitment to building an efficient power sector.
According to him, “the establishment of NISO is a decisive step towards achieving this administration’s mandate and will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that NISO operates independently and efficiently in line with global based practices.
It would be recalled that Tinubu had, in March this yea,r appointed board members of NISO with Dr Adesegun Olugbade as the Board Chairman.
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