The Nigeria’s Government has commenced construction of a new ultra-modern National Control Centre for the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) in Osogbo, Osun State, as part of efforts to strengthen the reliability and resilience of the national electricity grid.
The groundbreaking ceremony was performed on Wednesday by Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by his Senior Special Assistant (Legal), Office of the Vice President, Bashir Maidugu, with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, in attendance.
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Shettima said reliable electricity remained central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that power supply was critical to manufacturers, businesses, hospitals, schools and job creation.
He said the National Control Centre was central to protecting the reliability of the nation’s interconnected power system, stressing that Nigeria could not operate a modern grid with outdated infrastructure.
The new facility will replace the existing National Control Centre, which has been in operation for 64 years.
Speaking on the project, Tegbe said the new centre would give NISO improved visibility of activities across the national grid and enable operators to respond more quickly to emerging challenges.
He said the facility would feature integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), large-format displays and advanced analytics to help operators detect developing faults, plan preventive maintenance and optimise available generation and transmission capacity.
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According to him, the centre would also strengthen Nigeria’s response to grid disturbances, support the integration of renewable energy and improve the country’s coordination within the West African Power Pool.
Tegbe said the project would be backed by enhanced physical and cyber security, adding that its expected impact for consumers and businesses included fewer avoidable outages and more dependable electricity supply.
The minister, however, noted that improved grid control alone could not resolve all electricity supply challenges, stressing the need for adequate gas supply, properly maintained transmission infrastructure and functional distribution networks.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, said the new centre would improve the operator’s visibility of the national grid, strengthen coordination and facilitate faster and better-informed responses to system disturbances.
Mohammed said upgraded telemetry, SCADA and automatic metering would provide better data for operational decisions and market settlement, thereby contributing to a more secure and reliable electricity system.
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He added that the facility would strengthen NISO’s capacity to meet the technical demands of the West African power system, while the organisation was also developing the skilled manpower required to operate the new technology to international standards.
The ceremony was attended by members of the NISO Board and Management, members of the National Assembly Committees on Power, representatives of Distribution Companies, the Osun State Government, industry stakeholders and community leaders.