Output on national grid depends on DisCos request, says TCN
By John Ofikhenua, Abuja The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Friday said its daily output on the national grid depends on the quantity of energy requested by the electricity
By John Ofikhenua, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Friday said its daily output on the national grid depends on the quantity of energy requested by the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), what the generation companies (GenCos) can produce and what the TCN can wheel.
According to its Public Affairs General Manager, Ndidi Mbah, who made this known in a rejoinder, any of the three parties that fails to meet the daily nominated or declared capacity, is always penalized.
He words: "First, it’s important to note that the daily output on the national grid is a function of what the DisCos nominate, what the GenCos declare they can generate, and what TCN declares it can wheel.
"There is a penalty against any of these three players if they fail to meet what they declared."
The rejoinder was directed at a Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) social media post of April 2, 2026.
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TCN described the post as intentionally inaccurate for stating that TCN’s transmission wheeling capacity stands at 7,300MW, with an operational capacity of between 4,000MW and 5,000MW.
In a veiled refutal to the PHEDC claim over TCN's capacity, Mbah asked “Do the DisCos nominate beyond 4,000MW to 5,000MW?”
She further urged DisCo to verify before making distracting publications.
The rejoinder revealed that "Every day–ahead, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) looks at what each player declares and tries to strike a balance, which is what is then generated, transmitted, and distributed."
According to the rejoinder, TCN’s Verified Transmission Wheeling Capacity is 8,700MW.
Continuing, Mbah said "The fact is that 8,700MW is the simulated capacity by the Independent System Operator (ISO) when it was still part of TCN. Through sustained, capital-intensive infrastructure investments, including transformer installations, substation construction, and transmission line reconductoring, among others, TCN has progressively expanded its wheeling capacity to a verified 8,700MW.
" This figure is a matter of public record and reflects TCN’s ongoing commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s grid infrastructure. 7,300MW cited by PHEDC is outdated and no longer representative of TCN’s current capacity. In fact, with several completed and ongoing projects since the last simulation, a new simulation would certainly show increased capacity.
"Operational Milestones Contradict the 4,000–5,000MW Claim
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"Recent, verifiable sector-wide records directly contradict the assertion that TCN can only transmit between 4,000MW and 5,000MW operationally.
"The Nigerian power sector has, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, achieved three successive peak generation milestones, all of which were successfully transmitted by TCN:
"March 4, 2025: Peak generation of 5,801.84MW at 49.69Hz frequency, with a maximum daily energy dispatch of 128,370.75MWh — the highest peak generation and maximum daily energy ever attained in Nigeria’s power sector history.
" TCN successfully transmitted this entire output to Distribution Companies (DisCos) during peak hours.
"March 2, 2025: Peak generation of 5,713.60MW and maximum daily energy of 125,542.06MWh, efficiently transmitted by TCN to all distribution load centres.
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"February 14, 2025: Peak generation of 5,543.20MW and maximum daily energy of 125,159.48MWh, also successfully wheeled to DisCos by TCN.
"These figures, independently documented and publicly verifiable, speak for themselves.
" A Call for Accuracy in Power Sector Communication TCN acknowledges that Nigeria’s electricity value chain from gas supply through generation, transmission, and distribution to end users is deeply interconnected, and that each stakeholder has a responsibility to communicate accurately about their role alone and where they need to communicate about others, must take steps to verify information before releasing to the public.
"Misinformation, however unintentional, undermines public trust, misrepresents sector progress, and may negatively influence policy conversations and investment decisions.
"TCN, therefore, calls on all stakeholders to verify information not domiciled with them before publication to ensure their communications accurately reflect the current state of grid infrastructure. TCN remains committed to transparency, collaboration, and the continued growth of Nigeria’s power sector.
Enquiries or requests for clarification on TCN’s current wheeling capacity, infrastructure data, or operational records may be directed to the TCN Public Affairs Division."
