Nigeria Lost N2.376tn To Grid Underutilisation In 12 Years – NISO

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Engr. Abdu Bello, has disclosed that Nigeria lost over N2.376tn to power sector grid underutilisation in capacity payments since 2015.

Bello said this at the 11th Nigeria Energy Forum 2026 (NEF-2026) Conference in Lagos.

The theme of the conference is “Upscaling Value Addition for Sustainable Industrialisation”.

Bello, who was represented by NISO’s General Manager, Research, Mr Deji Ojo, said the establishment of NISO was repositioning the power sector from infrastructure expansion towards operational excellence, market efficiency, reliability, and industrial competitiveness.

According to him, as of May 2026, Nigeria had an available generation capacity of 7,311 Megawatts (MW), but the average dispatched generation that was produced and translated into economic value was just 4,222 MW.

“You will discover that about 3,162 MW is stranded capacity and not being converted to economic use,” he said.

The CEO said the major goal of NISO was to translate the existing megawatts into economic use.

In his presentation, Mr Abdulrahman Yinusa, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, said reliable power was the entry ticket to industrial growth.

Yinusa, who was represented by the Executive Director, Investment and Business Development, Mr Yemi Ajao, said Nigeria sits on the raw materials the world wants most.

“The question is whether we turn them into finished products or keep giving them away cheaply,” he said.

Also speaking, Caroline Eboumbou, the Chief Executive Officer of All On, said “Nigeria’s energy future would be shaped not only by policy or investment, but by the ingenuity of its people.

“That is why our partnership with the Tertiary Institutions Student Energy Challenge (TIEC) has been so meaningful,’’ she said.

Eboumbou, who was represented by Jadesola Rawa, Senior Grant Associate of All On, said some previous TIEC winners had continued their entrepreneurial journey through All On’s Hub.

“Three alumni have gone on to receive additional support that is helping them strengthen their businesses, refine their solutions, and move closer to commercial success,” she said.

Mr Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, said that to achieve sustainable development, it was critical to produce or manufacture in Nigeria.

Ogbe, who was represented by Mr Suleiman Ozimede, General Manager, Monitoring, said that Nigerians should utilise made-in-Nigeria products, as well as Nigerian human and material resources.

In a keynote presentation, Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, said the agency was building an integrated ecosystem where innovation is created locally, manufactured locally, and commercialised globally.

Abba Aliyu, Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, who was represented by Abba Hayatudeen, Senior Advisor on Strategy, said that “the future will be defined by the number of businesses we empower, industries we revive, and prosperity we unlock through sustainable energy.”

(NAN)