The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said it has intensified its monitoring of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) project to improve national grid reliability and end recurring system collapses.
THE WHISTLER reports that SCADA enables grid operators to monitor substations and transmission lines; detect outages instantly, balance load and reduce system losses.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 NERC Seminar for Judges in Abuja, the Chairman of the commission, Dr Musiliu Oseni, admitted that repeated grid failures had become a national embarrassment.
To this end, he said the SCADA project remains central to stabilising electricity supply nationwide.
He said NERC had strengthened oversight of the project to ensure effective implementation and accountability.
Oseni also noted that the recent establishment of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) made it necessary to brief the judiciary on the evolving rules and regulatory architecture of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), particularly as system operations become more complex.
He said the commission was advancing several initiatives aimed at strengthening the power sector, including the development of a regulatory framework to attract private investment into transmission infrastructure, measures to support the real economy, and the creation of clusters of excellence with access to reliable electricity.
Oseni added that NERC had also established customer care clinics across all distribution companies to improve service delivery and enhance consumer protection.
Declaring the seminar open, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said the programme was designed to deepen judicial understanding of electricity regulation, administrative compliance, and dispute resolution in a sector undergoing rapid transformation.
She observed that legislative reforms, technological innovation, increased private sector participation, and the decentralisation of regulatory authority to states had significantly increased the complexity of electricity-related cases before the courts.
“The Nigerian electricity sector is undergoing a profound transformation driven by legislative reforms, policy innovation, and the progressive decentralisation of regulatory authority,” the CJN said.
She stressed the need for judicial clarity and coherence in interpreting electricity laws.
In a presentation titled “The Investors’ Perspective: Investment Opportunities and Challenges in the Nigerian Power Sector,” the Chairman of Geometric Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, traced the sector’s reform journey leading to privatisation and highlighted the company’s integrated power model in Aba, Abia State.
Nnaji said Geometric Power and Aba Power Limited Electric had invested over $800m in generation and a ring-fenced distribution network.
He noted that despite early challenges, consumers in Aba and its environs had enjoyed sustained and improved electricity supply since the project became operational.
