TCN Hands Over Temporary National Control Centre to NISO to Boost Grid Management

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has handed over the control room building extension for the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System (SCADA/EMS) at the Gwagwalada 330kV Transmission Substation to the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), marking a major step toward improving electricity grid management in the country.

The facility will serve as a temporary National Control Centre (NCC) in Abuja pending the completion of the permanent control centre in Gwagwalada.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, TCN Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, described the event as a defining moment in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electricity transmission infrastructure.

Represented by the General Manager, Project Coordination, Engr. Amini Tahir, Abdulaziz said the completion of the facility marked not only the end of a construction project but also the beginning of a new phase in national grid management and power coordination.

He explained that the building was designed to temporarily accommodate the newly acquired SCADA/EMS and telecommunications systems, as well as operational personnel, while providing NISO with a base to manage the national grid more efficiently until the permanent National Control Centre becomes operational.

“With this handover, NISO will assume full responsibility for operating and maintaining the facility. We believe it is key to better grid management, improved system reliability and enhanced service delivery for Nigerians,” he said.

The TCN boss also expressed appreciation to the World Bank for supporting the project and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to collaboration, innovation and service excellence as NISO begins operations from the temporary facility.

Receiving the facility, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Mohammed Bello, represented by the General Manager, System Planning, Engr. Kabir Adamu, described the handover as a critical milestone in strengthening the operational capacity of Nigeria’s electricity grid.

He noted that the SCADA/EMS system is essential for modern grid operations and said the temporary control centre would enable NISO to commence operationalisation of the project at its current deployment stage.

“We all recognise the importance of SCADA-EMS for grid operations. This control room provides NISO with the environment needed to commence the operationalisation of the SCADA/EMS project,” he said.

Bello assured that NISO would manage the facility responsibly and continue working closely with TCN and other stakeholders to improve electricity transmission and system reliability across the country.

TCN Project Manager, Engr. Samuel Fakinlade, explained that once the permanent National Control Centre is completed, the equipment and personnel currently operating from the temporary facility would be relocated, after which the building would revert to TCN.

The facility houses newly installed SCADA/EMS and telecommunications infrastructure designed to support real-time monitoring, control and management of Nigeria’s electricity grid, pending the completion of the permanent National Control Centre.