By Seun Ibiyemi
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 significant step toward improving grid management and operational efficiency in the country’s power sector.
The facility, located in Gwagwalada, Abuja, will serve as a temporary National Control Centre (NCC) pending the completion of the permanent control centre.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, described the event as a defining moment for the company and a major milestone 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 signified the beginning of a new era in national grid management and power system coordination.
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According to him, the building was specifically designed to accommodate the newly acquired SCADA/EMS and telecommunications systems, alongside operational personnel, and will now provide NISO with a temporary operational base to oversee grid activities 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 this is key to better grid management, improved system reliability and enhanced electricity service delivery for Nigerians,” he said.
The TCN boss also expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its continued support in delivering the project, reaffirming the company’s commitment to collaboration, innovation and service excellence as the facility begins operations under NISO.
Receiving the facility on behalf of NISO, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Abdu Mohammed Bello, represented by the General Manager, System Planning, Engr. Kabir Adamu, described the handover as more than the transfer of physical infrastructure.
He said the development represents a critical milestone in strengthening the operational capacity of Nigeria’s national electricity grid.
“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 at this stage of its deployment,” Bello said.
He assured stakeholders that NISO would effectively manage the facility to support reliable and efficient grid operations while sustaining collaboration with TCN and other stakeholders to advance reforms in the 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, when the SCADA/EMS equipment and operational staff would be relocated to the new complex.
The interim control centre houses the newly installed SCADA/EMS and telecommunications systems designed to enable real-time monitoring, control and management of the national grid, providing enhanced operational oversight pending the commissioning of the permanent National Control Centre in Gwagwalada.
