Move From Diagnosis to Solutions for Grid Stability, NISO Urges Stakeholders

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has called on stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to move from merely identifying grid stability challenges to implementing practical, collaborative solutions.

The managing director/chief executive officer of NISO, Abdu Bello Mohammed, made the call while declaring open a two-day workshop themed “Strengthening Grid Stability: A Collaborative Workshop for NESI Stakeholders,” held at the Jebba Power Station on Wednesday.

“I encourage us to move deliberately from diagnosis to solutions.”

He added that the workshop should provide “a shared and technically grounded understanding” of the most pressing grid-stability challenges, while establishing practical pathways for addressing them

Mohammed said grid stability remained the foundation upon which the security, reliability and resilience of the power sector rested, adding that achieving it required strong collaboration, operational discipline and shared commitment from all stakeholders across the electricity value chain.

He said the Nigerian power system continued to operate under increasingly complex conditions, including generation and transmission constraints, changing demand patterns, frequency excursions and voltage-security challenges, alongside the growing need to coordinate a more diverse portfolio of energy resources.

On the causes of frequency excursions, Mohammed explained that they could result from a combination of factors, including sudden generation or load losses, forecasting and scheduling inaccuracies, fault-induced disturbances, inadequate system inertia and the response characteristics of generating units during system events.

He said NISO’s ongoing compliance monitoring activities had reinforced the importance of adherence to technical performance standards, including Free Governor Control requirements, stressing that grid stability could only be achieved through coordinated action across all segments of the industry.

According to him, addressing the challenges required more than technical interventions alone. He listed accurate and timely operational information, adequate frequency and voltage control resources, effective reserve management, strict compliance with the Grid Code, and operational discipline as key requirements, alongside seamless coordination among stakeholders.

Mohammed noted that as Nigeria pursued new generation projects, transmission infrastructure and other greenfield investments across the power sector, system planning had become increasingly critical to the long-term stability and reliability of grid operations.

He said the successful integration of new projects would require careful assessment of transmission adequacy, system strength, operational flexibility, reserve requirements, reliability criteria and future demand growth.

“A resilient and stable grid of the future will depend not only on how effectively we operate the system today, but also on how deliberately we plan and develop the network to accommodate emerging resources and evolving system requirements,” he said.

The NISO boss urged participants at the workshop to engage openly and constructively, share experiences, challenge existing assumptions where necessary, and contribute practical solutions to strengthen the performance of the power system.

He said NISO, as the institution responsible for coordinating secure, reliable and efficient system operation, remained committed to deepening collaboration with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), generation companies (GenCos), distribution companies (DisCos), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and policymakers.

Mohammed listed the expected outcomes of the workshop to include a shared, stakeholder-validated understanding of the most significant threats to grid stability; clear and measurable commitments toward improving frequency and voltage control performance; practical coordination protocols for managing disturbances; greater alignment between operational requirements and long-term planning priorities; and an effective mechanism for monitoring agreed actions.

He expressed appreciation to Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, operator of the Jebba Hydro Power Plant, for hosting the event, and wished participants fruitful deliberations.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, TCN, GenCos, DisCos, and other industry experts and technical professionals.