“NISO is committed to building a stakeholder - driven market architecture” – MD, NISO

 Seeks stakeholders collaboration to institute a world class electricity market

By Clement Ezeolisah 

The MD/CEO, Nigerian Electricity System Operator, Engr Abdu Mohammed has declared that “the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry is transitioning from excuses to accountability. We are moving from opacity to transparency, from fragmented coordination to unified command and control, from reactive operations to strategic market evolution.”

 Engr Mohammed assured that NISO was committed to building a stakeholder-driven market architecture, whose approach would be anchored on five principles: transparency in market and system operations, neutrality in all market decisions, operational discipline based on international standards as well as fair allocation of responsibilities and open and continuous engagement with stakeholders

 He called on all stakeholders in the NESI to note that “the strength of our electricity market will emerge from partnerships anchored on trust, transparency, and respect for established rules.

“We need the support of the policy makers, regulators and every service providers and development partners such as the World Bank, AfDB, EU, GIZ, GEAP, JICA, AfD.”.

 Engr Abdu Mohammed made the above declarations during the opening ceremony of the 2-day Maiden NISO Stakeholders Engagement held in Abuja, 19th and 20th November.

 He described NISO’s  mandate “as the referee that ensures everyone plays by the rules and that the rules themselves support a competitive market where efficiencies matter, investments are protected, and consumer welfare is the ultimate goal.”

The engagement, according to him, was to clarify NISO’s mandate and technical functions, identify vulnerabilities in grid and market operations, discuss mechanisms for ensuring resilience and operational stability, strengthen institutional and commercial collaboration as well as reinforce compliance as a non-negotiable requirement and build consensus on reforms needed to enhance market confidence and performance.

The NISO Executive Directors for Market Operations, System Operations as well as System Planning took turns to address participants on the activities of their divisions and expectations of service providers in relating with their various divisions.

The engagement also featured questions and answers sessions. Generation companies raised questions regarding payments for energy delivered and available or dim capacities, regular calls for ramp down of generators, SLAs that do not include their value chain.

Distribution companies raised issues of customers payment, theft of electricity and vandalism while TCN talked about right of way and uncompleted projects.

The sessions spotlighted new learnings and suggestions were proffered on how to address such issues including grey areas of operations not covered by current guidelines.