President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of executive and non-executive board members for the newly established Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), marking a major step in the country’s ongoing power sector reforms.
The appointments were disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Leading the board is Dr. Adesegun Olugbade, who will serve as chairman, while Engineer Abdu Mohammed Bello has been named Managing Director.
Additionally, Tinubu has appointed four executive directors to oversee critical aspects of NISO’s operations: Engineer Nafisatu Asabe Ali for Systems Operation, Engineer Shehu Abba-Aliyu for Systems Planning, Dr. Edmund Eje for Market Operations, and Mr. Babajide Ibironke for Finance and Corporate Services.
The non-executive directors include Engineer Lamu Audu, representing Generation; Mrs. Folake Soetan for Distribution; Mr. Tajudeen Giwa-Osagie as Market Expert; Engineer Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz for Transmission; and Alhaji Mahmuda Mamman, who serves as Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Power.
What to know
According to the statement, the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) will oversee the final stages of the recruitment process.
- The appointments stem from a memorandum submitted by Vice President Kashim Shettima and a rigorous selection process led by the Independent Board Nomination Committee (IBNC) in collaboration with Phillips Consulting Limited.
- The establishment of NISO fulfils a key mandate of the Electricity Act of 2023, which calls for the restructuring of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) into two distinct entities: a Transmission System Provider (TSP) and an Independent System Operator (ISO).
- NISO was officially created by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on April 30, 2024, with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) as equal shareholders.
- The new entity is expected to enhance the efficiency and reliability of Nigeria’s power grid, ensuring a more competitive and transparent electricity market.
The appointments mark a crucial milestone in Nigeria’s electricity sector, as the government seeks to implement long-awaited reforms aimed at improving power transmission and distribution across the country.
