By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) reaffirmed a strong commitment to maintaining high labour standards and promoting the welfare of all staff in the country.

Disclosing this in a statement on Monday NAICOM said as a forward looking regulatory institution, the Commission recognises that its effectiveness depends largely on the professionalism, dedication, and wellbeing of its workforce.

Continuing, it said “Since the current leadership assumed office, NAICOM has continued to take deliberate steps to improve working conditions and enhance staff welfare.

These efforts include strengthening internal processes, providing a supportive and enabling work environment, and promoting a workplace culture built on fairness, productivity, mutual respect, and accountability.

“Staff welfare remains a key priority of the Commission. In recent years, noticeable progress has been made in areas such as training and capacity development, career growth, workplace improvements, and performance based advancement. These initiatives reflect NAICOM’s commitment to building a skilled, motivated, and results driven workforce aligned with its strategic goals.

“NAICOM operates a transparent and merit based human resource system in full compliance with public service rules and applicable regulatory frameworks. Promotion exercises are conducted strictly in line with due process and are based on clear, objective, and verifiable criteria. All staff are treated equally, with no room for favouritism or bias.

“The Commission also places high importance on discipline, integrity, and positive working relationships across all levels. NAICOM remains committed to fostering a work environment guided by equity, transparency, and nondiscrimination in all engagements and decisions.

“Management remains open to constructive dialogue and engagement. Staff are encouraged to make use of established internal mechanisms for communication and dispute resolution, rather than actions that may disrupt operations or affect public confidence in the Commission.

NAICOM assures all stakeholders of its continued investment in staff welfare, professional development, and institutional excellence, in line with global best practices and its statutory responsibilities.

“The Commission remains committed to creating a harmonious and productive work environment while fulfilling its mandate to regulate, supervise, and strengthen Nigeria’s insurance industry, ” it added.

Meanwhile, NAICOM has alleged that there was an attempt on Monday by certain individuals to undermine the credibility of the current leadership through external actors.

“We are pleased to state that this effort was unsuccessful, as it was firmly rejected by disciplined and committed members of staff who declined to be associated with unfounded claims. The situation has since been effectively resolved, and normalcy has been fully restored.

“All operations remain uninterrupted, and NAICOM continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, fairness, dedication, and accountability in service to the Nigerian public”, the statement concluded.

Electricity Generation Improved to 4300MW from 3951MW, Says FG

The Federal Government announced on Sunday that electricity generation improved from 3,951 MW to 4,300 between March 28 and April 10.

This is contained in a statement issued by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communications and Media Relations in Abuja.

The gradual rise in generation output within the period, Tunji said, was in tandem with the assurance given by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, at the Power Sector Working Group, where he pledged that electricity supply would improve within two weeks.

He explained that this improvement closely aligns with the steady increase in gas supply to thermal power plants, which rose from approximately 605 million standard cubic feet (mmscfd) to over 704 mmscfd within the same timeframe.

Tunji further stated that mechanical availability remained stable and even improved, peaking at over 7,796 Megawatts (MW) in early April, while operational availability rose from about 4,208MW to a peak of over 4,694MW, indicating enhanced efficiency in converting available gas into electricity.

“Inspite of minor fluctuations recorded on some days, the overall trajectory points to a gradual recovery in the power sector, driven largely by improved gas supply and better coordination among critical stakeholders,” he said.

Tunji also said that the strong correlation between gas availability and generation output underscores the importance of sustained interventions in the gas-to-power value chain, given Nigeria’s heavy reliance on thermal power plants.

”To consolidate the gains recorded so far, the minister recently inaugurated a Gas-to-Power Monitoring Committee to ensure improved coordination, real-time monitoring, and sustained gas supply to generating companies.

“The committee is expected to address bottlenecks in gas delivery, enhance synergy between gas producers and power generation companies, and ultimately guarantee a more stable and reliable electricity supply across the country, “he said.

“The minister remains committed to ensuring that the modest gains recorded are not only sustained but significantly improved upon in the coming weeks,” he said.

Tunji assured Nigerians that ongoing reforms and targeted interventions in the sector would continue to yield measurable improvements in power generation and supply, in line with the administration’s broader objective of stabilising the nation’s electricity sector.

“We are not there yet, but we will continue to ensure measurable improvements, “he said.

Tunji also said that the minister urged the new management of the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) to focus on improving its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The minister spoke during the visit of the newly appointed Managing Director of the agency, Olusegun Adesayo and the chairman of the Board, Ikechi Nwosu to his office at the weekend.

Adelabu said that the agency should focus on improving IGR while reducing dependence on appropriation, especially in funding their operational cost.

He also urged the management to look into establishing more meter testing centres across the country in order to enhance and improve on their role.

While expressing confidence in the new management, he assured that the full board would be inaugurated soon.

“I have no doubt about your ability and I can also say that with your appointment by the president, you will do well. The President knows what he is doing by appointing you and any appointee of the president will have my full cooperation, “he said.

Decrying the dearth of manpower, especially meter installers, the minister again reiterated his call for collaboration between the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) and NEMSA to tackle the issue.

“We need to ensure more installers are trained in order to accelerate the government’s plan to bridge the meter gap in the country, “he said.

On meter testing stations, he said that there should be a plan towards having them in each of the geo-political zones.

He urged Adesayo to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of the agency and list the challenges in order to know where to start from.

Earlier, the Managing Director may have informed the minister of his visit to the other agencies to get their support.

He also spoke on the required support from the ministry in order to ensure the successful discharge of the agency‘s responsibilities.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Independent System Operator, Abdu Bello, has disclosed that Nigeria’s power sector was losing between N5bn and N8bn monthly to transmission inefficiencies, even as he revealed that targeted interventions by the operator have begun to cut losses and improve grid stability.

Bello made this known on Wednesday during the organisation’s first anniversary celebration held at its headquarters in Utako, Abuja, where he presented a detailed scorecard of reforms and operational milestones recorded since its establishment.

Recall that NISO was officially created on April 30, 2024, by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission following the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria under the Electricity Act, 2023.

Speaking on one of the most pressing challenges inherited by the operator, Bello said the transmission loss factor at inception was alarmingly high, with severe financial implications for the power sector.

“One of the greatest problems we encountered at the inception of NISO was that we recorded a very high transmission loss factor. At some point, it was close to 10 per cent, costing about N5bn to N8bn monthly,” he said.

He, however, noted that deliberate operational measures have started yielding results.

Adopting a broader tone, the NISO boss said the past year had been defined by institution-building, system stabilisation, and market reforms aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s electricity sector.

He explained that NISO was established to function as an independent system operator with responsibility for system operations, market administration, planning, and enforcement of grid codes and market rules.

On institutional development, he said the organisation had prioritised governance and coordination across the electricity value chain.

A major highlight of the address was NISO’s push to digitise grid operations through advanced monitoring systems.

Bello disclosed that the operator is accelerating the deployment of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management Systems to enable real-time grid visibility.

He added that the organisation was also deploying telemetry systems and Internet-of-Things-based metering infrastructure across generation units, transmission lines, and substations.

According to him, the initiative would enable near-real-time electricity market settlements and significantly improve operational efficiency.

Bello also revealed that NISO has intensified efforts to tackle grid instability and recurring system collapses through technical reforms and stricter compliance enforcement.

He noted that compliance with this directive has already improved grid frequency stability.

He further disclosed plans to introduce grid “islanding”, a strategy that segments the national grid to prevent widespread outages.

On market operations, Bello said NISO has taken steps to improve transparency, enforce compliance with market rules, and strengthen coordination among industry players.

He added that NISO is playing a central role in coordinating emerging state electricity markets following recent sector reforms.

The NISO boss also linked recent fluctuations in power generation to gas supply challenges, stressing the need for stronger coordination between the power and gas sectors.

He assured that regulators and stakeholders are working to address the issue and prevent future disruptions.

In a significant development, Bello disclosed that Nigeria has achieved trial synchronisation of its national grid with the West African power system, opening new opportunities for cross-border electricity trade.

He explained that the integration would allow Nigeria to export excess power and earn foreign exchange.

These interventions are contributing to improving system discipline and reliability together. On electricity market development and strengthening, we have made deliberate efforts to strengthen market credibility and transparency.

NISO was carved out of the Transmission Company of Nigeria as part of sweeping reforms introduced by the Electricity Act, 2023, to liberalise and decentralise Nigeria’s power sector.

The reform seeks to separate system operations from transmission ownership, improve transparency, and create a more competitive electricity market.

Despite these reforms, Nigeria’s power sector continues to face structural challenges, including transmission constraints, gas supply shortages, liquidity issues, and weak infrastructure.

NISO’s first-year performance signals a shift towards data-driven grid management and coordinated planning, although sustained investment and policy consistency will be required to deliver long-term stability.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said 41 ships carrying petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected at Lagos ports on Wednesday.

The NPA disclosed this in its Daily Shipping Position obtained on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to the bulletin, the vessels are expected between April 8 and April 14.

The authority said 24 of the ships would carry containers loaded with various goods.

“Seventeen ships will berth with bulk sugar, fresh fish, salt, general cargo, gypsum, aviation fuel, diesel, naphtha, gasoline, gas oil and wheat,” it added.

The NPA said 16 ships and tankers had already arrived and were awaiting berthing at the three ports.

According to the authority, the vessels carry general cargo, wheat, diesel, aviation fuel, petrol, gasoline, blend stock, containers, crude oil, fertiliser and fresh fish.

It added that 21 ships were discharging urea, containers, base oil, fresh fish, soya beans, gas and fertiliser at Lekki Deep Sea Port, Apapa and Tincan Island Port.