NISO, NBET Deepen Partnership to Tackle Power Market Liquidity, Attract Investment

"The two agencies have closely intertwined responsibilities and must work together to create a more efficient, transparent and investor-friendly electricity market capable of delivering stable and reliable electricity to Nigerians." Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NISO.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) have pledged to deepen collaboration on electricity market operations, with a focus on addressing liquidity challenges, improving market efficiency and attracting fresh investment into Nigeria’s power sector.

The commitment was made on Tuesday when the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, FNSE, received the newly appointed Managing Director of NBET, Dr. Akinola Odeyemi, during a visit to NISO’s office.

Mohammed said the two agencies have closely intertwined responsibilities and must work together to create a more efficient, transparent and investor-friendly electricity market capable of delivering stable and reliable electricity to Nigerians.

He explained that while NISO manages the service aspect of the electricity market, NBET is responsible for the energy component, making cooperation between both institutions critical to the success of ongoing power-sector reforms.

“Historically, NISO and NBET have always worked in synergy, so what we need now is to improve that under the new leadership,” Mohammed said.

He stressed that the ultimate objective of establishing the two agencies was to ensure Nigerians enjoy stable power supply, adding that NISO was ready to collaborate with NBET and other stakeholders to holistically tackle the liquidity crisis confronting the sector.

According to him, the agencies must unite under the leadership of the Minister of Power to share ideas and develop practical solutions to challenges hampering the electricity market.

Mohammed further assured that NISO would work closely with NBET to achieve the objectives of the Electricity Act 2023 reforms under the present administration.

On his part, Odeyemi commended NISO for its efforts to stabilise and improve the electricity market, assuring that NBET would work hand-in-hand with the system operator to consolidate and expand the gains already recorded in the sector.

He said his visit was aimed at strengthening relationships with sister agencies and identifying areas for closer collaboration.

“Particularly, we are here to discuss further collaboration on market settlement, revenue alliance, coordination, and the overall strategies to improve the electricity market,” Odeyemi said.

He pledged that NBET under his leadership would maintain a robust relationship with NISO and other industry stakeholders, stressing that stronger institutional cooperation was essential to growing the electricity market and attracting the investment required to improve power supply across the country.

The renewed partnership comes amid efforts to implement the reforms introduced by the Electricity Act 2023 and address persistent challenges around market liquidity, settlement and coordination, which remain critical to the long-term viability of Nigeria’s electricity industry.

Both agencies expressed optimism that closer coordination would strengthen the market, boost investor confidence and ultimately translate into more reliable electricity supply for Nigerians.