The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) on Wednesday said it has been formally admitted into the West African Power Pool (WAPP), marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s electricity sector reform and regional power integration efforts.
NISO in a statement said the admission took place on 24 January, at the 20th session of the WAPP general assembly in Lomé, Togo, which convened electricity sector leaders, system operators and policymakers from across West Africa.
“The decision to admit NISO reflects recognition of its mandate as Nigeria’s independent system and market operator, responsible for ensuring reliability, transparency and efficiency in the operation of the national electricity grid and electricity market,” the statement said.
In November last year, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said Nigeria has successfully conducted a grid synchronisation test connecting the national electricity grid with the interconnected WAPP system.
Mr Adelabu, at the time, said this exercise represents the first time in history that Nigeria has operated in a unified, stable, and fully harmonised configuration with the rest of the sub-region.
The minister said the synchronisation will enable the country to optimise generation costs, deepen industrialisation, strengthen regulatory oversight, and expand its leadership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) energy landscape.
Synchronisation is the process of matching the frequency, phase and voltage of a generator or other source to an electrical grid to transfer electricity.
The NISO admission comes amidst Nigeria’s grid instability.
On Tuesday, Nigerians were thrown into darkness due to ‘system collapse’, marking the second time in less than five days that the country’s national grid collapsed.
As a WAPP member, NISO said it will contribute to regional grid coordination, information sharing, system planning and the development of a competitive regional electricity market.
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“The admission advances WAPP’s objective of integrating national power systems across the ECOWAS sub-region and strengthens Nigeria’s role in promoting grid stability, cross-border electricity trade and sustainable energy development in West Africa,” it added.
NISO said its participation was led by its management team under the leadership of its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Abdu Bello Mohammed, who was present for the inauguration and formal admission proceedings.
NISO is responsible for managing electricity system operations, including load allocation from generation companies to distribution companies and eligible customers.
