Nigeria Must Focus on Deliverable Power, Not Installed Capacity – TCN Boss

Nigeria’s Power Challenge Goes Beyond 13,000MW Installed Capacity, TCN MD Warns

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. (Dr.) Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, has identified three priority interventions that he said would deliver the fastest improvements in electricity supply and move Nigeria closer to achieving its full generation potential.

Speaking at the 2026 Energy Conference and Exhibition in Lagos, Abdulaziz said the country’s power sector should focus on electricity that is available, deliverable and commercially sustainable rather than installed generation capacity alone.

According to him, although Nigeria has more than 13,000 megawatts of installed generation capacity, the amount of power available to consumers remains significantly lower.

“Nigeria’s electricity challenge is not simply a question of how much generation capacity has been installed. It is whether that capacity is available, can be dispatched, can be carried reliably through the network, and can be sustained by a functioning commercial market,” he said.

Abdulaziz ranked restoring unavailable generation capacity as the most impactful intervention, describing it as the largest near-term opportunity to increase power supply.

He called for dependable gas supply, predictable commercial arrangements across the gas-to-power value chain and coordinated maintenance to minimise avoidable power plant downtime.

He added that policy frameworks such as the Nigeria Integrated Resource Plan and the National Integrated Electricity Policy should be translated into measurable increases in generation availability.

“Progress should be measured not by the number of plans produced, but by how much additional electricity becomes available to the grid and reaches consumers,” he said.

On transmission, the TCN chief said the company currently has a simulated wheeling capacity of about 8,700MW, although actual evacuation of power depends on network availability, system stability and the capacity of distribution companies to receive electricity.

He disclosed that TCN installed 82 power transformers between January 2024 and November 2025, adding approximately 8,500MVA in transformation capacity.

Abdulaziz said the company remains focused on transmission network reinforcement and rehabilitation, improved availability of lines and transformers, stronger protection systems and enhanced grid visibility through SCADA and Energy Management System tools.

“Our responsibility is to maintain and strengthen the network while expanding its capability,” he said.

The third intervention, according to him, is improving market liquidity by strengthening the commercial framework of the electricity sector.

He warned that gains from technical improvements would not be sustainable without addressing payment shortfalls across the industry.

“This requires credible metering and energy accounting, transparent settlement, improved collection, enforcement of market obligations, and targeted regulatory decisions that make contracts and payments predictable,” he said.

As a way forward, Abdulaziz proposed a 100-day implementation scorecard to monitor progress in increasing generation availability, identifying network bottlenecks and implementing commercial measures required to sustain electricity supply.

He said each action item should have a designated lead institution, a deadline and measurable outcomes.

“The ranking is deliberate: first, unlock generation that is currently unavailable; second, remove network constraints that prevent available power reaching consumers; and third, repair the commercial arrangements that sustain both,” he said.

Abdulaziz reaffirmed TCN’s commitment to strengthening the transmission network and collaborating with stakeholders across the electricity value chain to improve power supply.

The conference was attended by Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Biodun Ogunleye, Group President of SkipperSeil Group Jitender Kumar Sachdeva, development partners, investors and other stakeholders in the energy sector.