Nigeria begins construction of new national power-grid control centre

The Federal Government has begun construction of a new National Control Centre for the Nigerian Independent System Operator in Osogbo, Osun State, as part of efforts to improve the reliability of Nigeria’s electricity grid. The facility will replace the existing control centre, which the government described as 64 years old and no longer adequate for the technical demands of managing the national network. Vice-President Kashim Shettima, represented by a senior aide, performed the groundbreaking ceremony with support from the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.

Shettima said dependable electricity was central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He described the control centre as essential infrastructure for a modern interconnected grid and said reliable power supports manufacturers, small businesses, hospitals, schools and employment. Tegbe said the project would improve the system operator’s ability to monitor the national grid and respond more quickly to disruptions.

The Ministry of Power said the facility would include an integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, large-format display screens and advanced analytics. According to the ministry, these systems will help operators identify possible faults, plan preventive maintenance and make better use of available generation and transmission capacity. The centre is also expected to improve responses to disturbances, support renewable-energy integration and strengthen coordination within the West African Power Pool.

The ministry said the project should reduce avoidable outages, although Tegbe cautioned that its benefits would depend on adequate gas supplies, properly maintained transmission infrastructure and efficient distribution networks. NISO chief executive Bello Mohammed said upgraded telemetry, SCADA systems and automatic metering would improve visibility of the national grid, operational decisions and market settlement. He also stressed the need to train personnel, saying technology alone could not operate the grid.

The project comes amid repeated grid collapses and inadequate supply affecting households, businesses and industry. Officials and representatives of power-sector bodies, the National Assembly, distribution companies, Osun State and local communities attended the ceremony.