The federal government has commenced construction of a new National Control Centre for the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) in Osogbo, Osun State, to strengthen grid reliability and improve electricity supply across the country.
The new ultra-modern facility will replace the existing 64-year-old centre, which the government said no longer meets the technical demands of managing Nigeria’s electricity grid.
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The groundbreaking ceremony was performed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Legal Matters in the Office of the Vice President, with the support of the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Shettima said reliable electricity was central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, describing power as the foundation of a functional economy.
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He said dependable electricity enables manufacturers to plan production, supports small businesses, ensures hospitals and schools operate effectively, and creates jobs and broader economic opportunities.
The Vice President described the National Control Centre as critical infrastructure for maintaining grid reliability, adding that Nigeria could not operate a modern, interconnected electricity network with outdated technology.
In his remarks, Mr Tegbe said the project would enhance NISO’s ability to monitor activities across the national grid and respond promptly to disruptions.
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He described the project as a practical demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to addressing the structural challenges affecting electricity supply in the country.
The project comes amid persistent challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, including repeated national grid collapses and inadequate power supply, which continue to affect households, businesses and industrial activities.
When Mr Tinubu appointed Mr Tegbe as Minister of Power in June, he pledged to prioritise implementation over rhetoric, identifying power distribution, metering, transparency and greater sub-national participation as key areas of intervention.
“We must close the metering gap and ensure Nigerians can track performance through a transparent public dashboard. The sector must be properly structured, and the people deserve to see real improvement,” Mr Tegbe said at the time.
Significance of the project
According to the Ministry of Power, the new National Control Centre will be equipped with an integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, large-format display screens and advanced analytics to improve grid monitoring and management.
The ministry said these technologies would enable operators to identify potential faults, plan preventive maintenance and optimise the use of existing electricity generation and transmission capacity.
“It will also improve responses to disturbances, support the integration of renewable energy and strengthen Nigeria’s coordination within the West African Power Pool, backed by stronger physical and cyber security,” the statement said.
Mr Tegbe said the project was expected to reduce avoidable outages and improve the reliability of electricity supply for households and businesses.
However, he cautioned that the benefits of the new facility would also depend on adequate gas supply, properly maintained transmission infrastructure and efficient distribution networks capable of delivering electricity to consumers.
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He said the control centre would strengthen coordination across the electricity value chain, helping to ensure that investments in generation and transmission translate into more reliable electricity supply.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Bello Mohammed, said the new facility would improve the system operator’s visibility of the national grid, strengthen coordination and enable faster, better-informed responses to disruptions.
Mr Mohammed said improved data from upgraded telemetry, SCADA systems and automatic metering would support better operational decisions, enhance electricity supply reliability and improve market settlement.
He added that the centre would equip NISO to meet the technical requirements of the West African power system, while the organisation was also investing in developing skilled personnel to operate the facility in line with international standards.
“Technology does not operate the grid, people do,” he said, emphasising the importance of building the technical capacity required to maximise the benefits of the new infrastructure.
The ministry said the groundbreaking ceremony marked a significant step towards modernising Nigeria’s electricity grid.
Members of NISO’s board and management, members of the National Assembly committees on power, representatives of electricity distribution companies, officials of the Osun State Government, industry stakeholders, and community leaders attended.
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