The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has kicked off the second phase of a capacity development programme aimed at sharpening the technical skills of system operators responsible for managing the country’s national electricity grid safely and reliably.
Speaking at the opening of the training, NISO’s MD/CEO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, said ongoing capacity building was vital to preparing system operators for the growing complexity of the power system and for responding swiftly to shifting operational demands.
He noted that NISO’s role as an independent system operator demands technical competence, sound judgement, discipline, teamwork and a firm commitment to safety, adding that the programme was built to foster a shared operational culture rooted in professionalism, integrity, neutrality, reliability and continuous improvement.
Mohammed called on participants to strengthen their grasp of the Grid Code, calling it a core standard that shapes the duties of system operators.
He also encouraged open participation and knowledge exchange, saying the training’s real goal was better operational performance across NISO’s control centres.
He pledged continued investment in system operators, pointing out that even advanced technology cannot reach its full potential without skilled professionals behind it.
The Executive Director, System Operations, Engr. Nafisatu Ali, also spoke, underlining the vital part system operators play in independently and transparently running, monitoring, coordinating and managing the national grid to ensure safe, secure and economical power delivery.
She outlined their duties as covering real time grid management, coordinating generation and power flows, load allocation, outage management, emergency response and maintenance planning, stressing that strong coordination is essential to grid stability given how interconnected Nigeria’s power system is.
Ali urged participants to build deeper knowledge of voltage and frequency control, outage management, power flow monitoring, real time balancing of generation and load, and coordination between control rooms.
She also encouraged them to treat system disturbances and near misses as learning opportunities to strengthen operational skills and head off future incidents.
The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services, Babajide Ibironke, stressed that the programme must deliver measurable value to both participants and NISO, noting that trainees would be expected to pass on what they learn to their teams, in keeping with the organisation’s knowledge sharing policy.
The training is part of NISO’s wider push to build the human capacity needed to support Nigeria’s evolving electricity system.
