The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Canadian High Commission have initiated talks on a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the modernisation of Nigeria's electricity sector through technology transfer, capacity building, renewable energy integration and investment in critical power infrastructure.
The discussions took place during a courtesy visit by the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, David Sproule, and his delegation to the NISO headquarters in Abuja, where they were received by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, and members of the organisation's management team.
Speaking during the meeting, Mohammed described the visit as a milestone in strengthening energy cooperation between Nigeria and Canada, noting that it reflects both countries' commitment to promoting innovation, technical collaboration, trade and sustainable development in the power sector.
He outlined NISO's responsibilities under the Electricity Act 2023, explaining that the organisation is responsible for system operations, market operations, system planning, and the administration and enforcement of the Nigerian Electricity Market Rules, Grid Code, Metering Code and other regulatory directives issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to him, NISO is driving reforms in the electricity industry through the deployment of digital technologies, including the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, Energy Management System (EMS), advanced electricity market trading platforms, telemetry infrastructure and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to improve grid management and electricity market efficiency.
The NISO chief also highlighted the organisation's role in planning national grid expansion, integrating renewable energy, identifying priority investments and encouraging private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to strengthen transmission infrastructure.
Mohammed identified technical training, knowledge exchange, renewable energy integration, battery energy storage systems, digital grid technologies, research and investment as priority areas for collaboration with Canada.
"As an emerging electricity market, we are keen to learn from Canada's experience and leverage its expertise in modern electricity market operations, digital technologies and renewable energy integration. We believe this engagement marks the beginning of a long-term partnership that will strengthen the reliability and stability of Nigeria's national grid," he said.
In his remarks, Canadian High Commissioner David Sproule congratulated NISO on its establishment, describing it as one of the most significant outcomes of Nigeria's electricity sector reforms under the Electricity Act 2023.
He said Canada is ready to support Nigeria's energy transition by sharing its expertise in electricity system operations, renewable energy integration, energy storage technologies, cybersecurity and electricity market management.
Sproule noted that Canadian firms have extensive experience operating complex electricity systems with significant renewable energy penetration and managing remote power grids, capabilities he said align with NISO's vision of building a modern, digitally enabled electricity market.
"Canada is keen to support Nigeria's energy transition and power sector modernisation. We look forward to connecting NISO with Canadian technology providers and Independent System Operators to foster stronger collaboration and mutually beneficial partnerships," the High Commissioner said.
Both sides expressed confidence that the engagement would pave the way for sustained cooperation in technical capacity development, innovation, investment and knowledge exchange, with the goal of building a more reliable, resilient and sustainable electricity supply industry in Nigeria.