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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has handed over the control room building extension housing the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System (SCADA/EMS) at the Gwagwalada 330kV Transmission Substation to the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) for use as a temporary National Control Centre (NCC).
The handover, which took place in Abuja, is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen grid management and improve the reliability of Nigeria’s electricity transmission network pending the completion of the permanent National Control Centre in Gwagwalada.
Speaking at the ceremony, TCN Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, described the event as a significant milestone in efforts to enhance the country’s electricity transmission infrastructure.
Represented by the General Manager, Project Coordination, Engr. Amini Tahir, Abdulaziz said the completion of the facility marked the beginning of a new phase in national grid management and power system coordination.
He explained that the building was originally designed as temporary accommodation for the newly installed SCADA/EMS and telecommunications systems, as well as the operational personnel responsible for managing them.
According to him, the facility will now serve as NISO’s temporary operational base, enabling the organisation to oversee grid operations more efficiently and reliably until the permanent National Control Centre becomes operational.
“With this handover, NISO will assume full responsibility for operating and maintaining the facility,” he said, adding that the move would contribute to better grid management, improved system reliability and enhanced electricity service delivery across the country.
Abdulaziz also acknowledged the World Bank for its support in the execution of the project and reaffirmed TCN’s commitment to collaboration, innovation and improved service delivery in the power sector.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Mohammed Bello, represented by the General Manager, System Planning, Engr. Kabir Adamu, commended TCN for delivering the project, describing the handover as a major step toward strengthening the operational capacity of Nigeria’s electricity grid.
He noted that the SCADA/EMS project is critical to modern grid operations and said the new control room provides the enabling environment for NISO to commence the operationalisation of the system at its current stage of deployment.
Adamu assured that NISO would manage the facility responsibly to ensure efficient grid operations and pledged continued collaboration with stakeholders to advance reforms in the nation’s electricity sector.
Also speaking, TCN Project Manager, Engr. Samuel Fakinlade, disclosed that the facility would revert to TCN after the completion of the permanent National Control Centre, with all equipment and personnel currently operating from the temporary facility to be relocated to the new complex.
The temporary National Control Centre houses the newly installed SCADA/EMS and telecommunications systems designed to facilitate real-time monitoring, control and management of the national electricity grid until the permanent facility is completed.
