The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed owners of privately operated transmission substations connected to the national grid to formally register with the regulator, part of new measures aimed at strengthening oversight of electricity transmission infrastructure.
The directive is part of broader regulatory efforts to improve monitoring of privately developed grid facilities and ensure that operators comply with national electricity industry standards governing safety, operational reliability, and technical coordination.
According to NERC, the policy will also enhance transparency in managing transmission infrastructure, particularly as privately financed energy projects increasingly integrate with the country’s central electricity network.
The instruction was announced on Wednesday through a notice on the commission’s official X platform, outlining a new regulatory framework for privately owned, grid-connected transmission substations across Nigeria.
Under the regulation titled Order on the Registration and Authorisation of Grid-Connected Private Transmission Substations (NERC/2026/013), which took effect on March 9, 2026, operators must obtain an Independent Electricity Transmission Network Operator permit before linking facilities to the national grid or continuing operations.
The commission said the measure aims to strengthen system stability, enhance operational safety, and improve supervision of transmission infrastructure, following repeated transmission line trips reported by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
As part of the directive, NISO must provide the regulator with a comprehensive list of existing private transmission substation owners and notify affected operators within five days.
Existing operators have 45 days to apply for the required permit, while new developers must secure authorisation before connecting their facilities to the national network, with penalties specified for violations.
The framework also mandates the installation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) metering devices at interconnection points within 120 days, and operators are required to submit monthly operational reports as the system operator conducts periodic inspections to ensure compliance with the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Grid Code.
