The Federal Government has set an ambitious goal to increase Nigeria’s daily electricity output from 5,500 megawatts (MW) to 8,500MW within the next 12 to 18 months.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Gbeleyi, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during a leadership retreat themed “Strategic Leadership for Grid Stability and Market Transformation in a Decentralised, Multi-Level NESI” for top officials of the newly established Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
He charged NISO with spearheading efforts to improve grid stability, operational efficiency, and transmission capacity to meet this target.
“At present, electricity generation averages around 5,500MW. But with improved grid efficiency, we should be aiming for 7,500 to 8,500MW within the next year. That is the charge, and NISO must lead the way,” Gbeleyi stated.
According to him, although the country’s installed generation capacity exceeds 14,000MW, poor transmission and systemic inefficiencies have left much of it unutilised.
He stressed that enhancing the transmission backbone and modernising grid management are essential to supporting Nigeria’s industrial growth and meeting national energy demand.
NISO’s Managing Director, Abdu Mohammed, expressed optimism that the 8,500MW target is realistic, citing increased coordination and efforts to attract private sector investment.
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He noted that recent contracts awarded for the nationwide upgrade of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system will boost grid automation and resilience.
“Work is ongoing across the northern zones of the grid, and we expect the SCADA upgrade to be completed by the end of next year,” Mohammed said.
Also speaking, NISO Board Chairman, Dr. Adesesan Akin-Olugbade, described the retreat as a milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward a stable and transparent electricity market.
Image Credit: The Guardian Nigeria News
