The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. (Dr.) Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, has outlined three critical interventions that would fastest move Nigeria towards its full generation potential, stressing the need to shift focus from installed capacity to available, deliverable and commercially sustainable power.
Speaking at the 2026 Energy Conference and Exhibition held at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, Engr. Abdulaziz said Nigeria’s electricity challenge goes beyond installed capacity, which stands at over 13,000MW.
“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.
He noted that while installed capacity is over 13,000MW, power available to consumers remains far below that level, and closing that gap must be the sector’s most urgent priority.
According to him, three interventions ranked by impact, speed and ability to unlock additional power for consumers will deliver the fastest results:
Engr. Abdulaziz identified restoration of more generation as the largest near-term gain. He called for dependable gas supply, predictable payment and commercial arrangements across the gas-to-power chain, and coordinated maintenance to reduce avoidable plant downtime.
He said existing frameworks such as the Nigeria Integrated Resource Plan and the National Integrated Electricity Policy must be translated into measurable improvements in generation availability, with clear accountability for additional megawatts delivered.
“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 stated.
On transmission, the TCN MD said the company has a simulated wheeling capacity of approximately 8,700MW, but actual evacuation depends on line and transformer availability, voltage and stability limits, and DisCos’ capacity to off-take power.
He disclosed that between January 2024 and November 2025, TCN installed 82 power transformers, adding approximately 8,500MVA in transformation capacity.
“Our responsibility is to maintain and strengthen the network while expanding its capability,” he said, adding that TCN is focused on critical reinforcement and rehabilitation works, improved availability of lines and transformers, strengthened protection systems, and enhanced real-time visibility through SCADA/EMS tools.
He emphasized disciplined maintenance, faster fault response, and better coordination with generation and distribution companies.
The third intervention, he said, fix market liquidity and that is to strengthen the commercial chain. Engr. Abdulaziz warned that technical improvements will not be sustainable without fixing payment shortfalls.
“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.
Proposing next steps, the TCN MD called for a focused 100-day implementation scorecard built on existing plans.
“The scorecard should track three outcomes: additional generation made available, megawatts constrained by verified network bottlenecks, and commercial actions required to sustain supply,” he said.
He stressed that each action must have a named lead institution, a deadline and a measurable result.
“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 explained.
He reaffirmed TCN’s commitment to operating a resilient transmission network, expanding transfer capability and deepening collaboration across the value chain.
“Nigeria will move closer to its generation potential when we stop treating installed capacity as the final measure of success and focus instead on megawatts that are available, deliverable and commercially sustainable,” he concluded.
The event featured exhibitions by leading players in the energy sector and was attended by the Honourable Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe; the Governor of Lagos State, ably represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye; the Group President of SkipperSeil Group, Mr. Jitender Kumar Sachdeva; and other distinguished industry leaders, development partners, investors and stakeholders.
