The Federal Government has commenced the construction of a new ultra-modern National Control Centre for the Nigerian Independent System Operator in Osogbo, Osun State, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s electricity grid and reduce avoidable disruptions.
The project, which is expected to replace the existing 64-year-old control facility, is designed to provide operators with real-time visibility of the national grid and improve their ability to detect and respond swiftly to faults and other system disturbances.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday and performed on behalf of Vice President Kashim Shettima, with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and other stakeholders in attendance.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Legal Matters, Bashir Maidugu, Shettima said reliable electricity remained central to the Federal Government’s economic development agenda.
He described the power sector as critical to the productivity of manufacturers, small businesses, hospitals, schools and other sectors of the economy.
According to him, the national control centre is at the heart of efforts to maintain grid stability, making the modernisation of the facility essential to the management of an increasingly interconnected electricity system.
The Vice President said, “Nigeria cannot run a modern, interconnected grid with outdated tools,” stressing the need to deploy modern technology to strengthen electricity management.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tegbe said the new control centre would provide NISO with enhanced real-time monitoring and operational capabilities, allowing grid operators to respond more quickly to emerging system challenges.
He said the project represented a practical step towards addressing some of the structural weaknesses affecting electricity supply in the country.
The minister explained that the facility, when completed and commissioned, would deploy integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems, large-format displays and advanced analytics.
These technologies, he said, would enable operators to identify developing faults, plan preventive maintenance and optimise available generation and transmission capacity.
The facility is also expected to strengthen Nigeria’s ability to respond to system disturbances, facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the national grid and improve coordination under the West African Power Pool.
Tegbe added that the project would enhance the physical and cyber security of critical national electricity infrastructure.
He, however, cautioned that a modern control centre alone would not resolve all the challenges confronting electricity supply, stressing the need for adequate gas feedstock, properly maintained transmission infrastructure and distribution networks capable of delivering electricity to consumers.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, said the new facility would significantly improve the organisation’s ability to monitor and coordinate operations across the national grid.
Mohammed said upgraded telemetry, SCADA and automatic metering systems would provide better-quality data for operational decisions, improve market settlement and enable faster, more informed responses to disturbances.
He said the modern facility would also position NISO to meet the increasing technical requirements of Nigeria’s participation in the West African power system.
The NISO boss disclosed that the organisation was simultaneously investing in the training and development of skilled operators who
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