The Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Abdu Bello, has revealed that Nigeria’s power sector was losing between N5 billion and N8 billion monthly due to transmission inefficiencies. He added that targeted interventions by NISO are helping to reduce losses and enhance grid stability.
Bello made the disclosure during NISO’s first anniversary celebration at its headquarters in Utako, Abuja, highlighting the organisation’s achievements since its creation on April 30, 2024, following the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
He explained that transmission losses were previously close to 10%, but reforms and operational measures have reduced it to around 7.05%, with plans to bring it down to 5–6% to meet regulatory targets.
Over the past year, NISO has focused on institutional development, market reforms, and system stabilisation. The operator has established governance structures, strengthened coordination across the power value chain, and prioritised grid visibility through the deployment of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management Systems (SCADA/EMS) and telemetry systems.
Bello noted that the IoT-based metering infrastructure being implemented across generation units, transmission lines, and substations will provide full real-time visibility of the national grid by the end of the year. This initiative is expected to enable near real-time electricity market settlements and improve operational efficiency.
To tackle grid instability and system collapses, NISO has enforced compliance among generating units, improved frequency response, and is developing grid “islanding” to prevent cascading outages. The operator is also enhancing transparency and compliance with market rules, coordinating emerging state electricity markets, and addressing gas supply challenges that affect generation.
In a major development, Bello revealed that Nigeria successfully trialled synchronisation with the West African power pool on November 8, 2025, enabling potential cross-border electricity trade. The integration will allow Nigeria to export excess power, earn foreign exchange, and reinvest in domestic capacity improvements.
