The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the West African Power Pool (WAPP) have intensified technical and operational coordination as preparations advance for the second phase of regional grid synchronization across West Africa.
This followed a high-level working visit by WAPP officials to the National Control Centre (NCC) in Osogbo, Osun State, where both parties reviewed system readiness, operational protocols and ongoing studies required to meet the June 2026 synchronization milestone.
The engagement is part of broader efforts to deepen real-time interconnection of national electricity grids within the West African power system, transitioning from loosely coupled bilateral exchanges to a fully synchronized regional grid.
Speaking during the session, the Executive Director, System Operation at NISO, Engr. Nafisatu Asabe Ali, said the move toward a synchronized grid architecture demands strict compliance with unified operational standards across participating countries.
She explained that such standards include frequency control, voltage stability, spinning reserve adequacy and contingency management across interconnected systems.
“The transition from loosely coupled bilateral exchanges to a synchronized grid architecture requires strict adherence to unified operational standards,” she said.
Ali noted that the National Control Centre remains central to the process, providing real-time supervisory control and dispatch through its SCADA/EMS platform, while coordinating system balancing, outage scheduling and grid security within Nigeria and across WAPP interconnections.
According to her, successful synchronization would depend on the alignment of grid codes, protection schemes and operational procedures among member states, as well as the deployment of robust communication infrastructure to support dynamic data exchange and coordinated dispatch.
“The NCC is responsible for maintaining system frequency within acceptable operational limits, ensuring voltage profiles are stable across transmission corridors, and coordinating both planned and forced outages to minimize system disturbances,” she added.
She highlighted the strategic importance of cross-border transmission infrastructure, particularly the Ikeja West–Sakété 330kV line, describing it as a major synchronous link between Nigeria and the Benin Republic and a critical backbone for regional power exchange and load balancing.
Ali further stated that Nigeria’s grid is being positioned as a stabilizing anchor within the WAPP network, citing its generation capacity, transmission reach and role in providing frequency support services across interconnected systems.
With the operationalisation of NISO under the ECOWAS-aligned electricity market framework, she said the NCC has assumed expanded responsibilities, including real-time system security assessment, ancillary services coordination and cross-border energy accounting.
She also disclosed ongoing investments in grid modernisation, including the deployment of an upgraded SCADA/EMS system to improve situational awareness, automate contingency analysis and enhance response time to grid disturbances. In addition, a new National Control Centre facility is under development to boost redundancy, scalability and operational resilience.
On readiness for the second phase of synchronization, NISO reported progress in dynamic simulations, stability studies and trial synchronization exercises with neighbouring control areas aimed at validating system performance under interconnected conditions.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting delegation, WAPP Secretary General, Abdoulaye Diaw, stressed the importance of sustained technical discipline and compliance with regional standards to ensure seamless synchronization.
He commended NISO’s efforts in strengthening system operations and called for continued investment in infrastructure, capacity building and coordination mechanisms critical to the success of Phase II.
As part of the visit, the Acting General Manager of the NCC, Osogbo, Engr. Umor Emmanuel, delivered a technical presentation detailing the Centre’s operational architecture, including its role in Automatic Generation Control, load frequency control and its interface with regional dispatch centres.
Members of the WAPP delegation, including senior technical officials such as Oumar Diaw, Julius Abayatéye, Norbert Kindadoussi and Issoufou Rouga, participated in system review sessions and operational briefings.
The visit followed earlier engagements at the Lagos Operations Regional Office on April 27, where preliminary coordination activities and system readiness checks were conducted ahead of the next synchronization test, reinforcing efforts to deliver a more integrated and reliable regional electricity market.
