By Onu Okorie
Federal Government has commenced construction of an ultra-modern National Control Centre for the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) in Osogbo, Osun State, as part of efforts to strengthen the management, reliability and security of Nigeria’s electricity grid.
The new facility will replace the existing National Control Centre, which has been in operation for about 64 years, and provide NISO with modern technology to monitor and manage the national grid in real time.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the project would give system operators enhanced visibility of activities across the national grid and enable them to respond more quickly to system disturbances.
Tegbe described the project as a concrete demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to addressing the underlying weaknesses in the electricity supply chain.
According to him, a modern control centre is critical to improving the ability of the system operator to manage the increasingly complex power network and maximise available generation and transmission capacity.
Upon completion, the new centre will deploy an integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, large-format display screens and advanced analytics.
The technologies will enable operators to monitor grid conditions in real time, detect developing faults and take corrective measures before disruptions escalate.
The facility is also expected to support preventive maintenance planning and optimise the utilisation of existing generation and transmission assets.
The government said the modern control infrastructure would improve the system operator’s ability to respond to system disturbances, thereby strengthening the overall resilience of the national electricity network.
Beyond conventional grid management, the new centre is expected to play a critical role in integrating renewable energy into Nigeria’s electricity system.
As the country increases the contribution of renewable sources to its energy mix, enhanced monitoring and control capabilities will become increasingly important in managing fluctuations in supply and maintaining grid stability.
The facility will also strengthen Nigeria’s coordination with the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and improve the country’s ability to participate effectively in regional electricity exchanges.
The project is further expected to enhance both physical and cybersecurity of critical national power infrastructure.
The construction of the centre comes as the Federal Government seeks to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of NISO following the unbundling of system operation functions from the Transmission Company of Nigeria. With its combination of real-time monitoring, automated control, system analytics and enhanced security features, the new National Control Centre is expected to provide NISO with the infrastructure required to manage a more interconnected and increasingly diversified Nigerian power system.