By Bassey Udo
Despite the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges during the outgoing year, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) achieved some of the most outstanding milestones in its history, its acting managing director and chief executive officer, Sule Abdulaziz, has said.
Reviewing the activities of the company during the year, Abdulaziz said although 2021 was challenging in several ways, his management ensured TCN was able to maintain its role as the vital link in the power sector.
In the course of the year, the MD said strategic management decisions were taken that enabled the completion of several abandoned projects, prompt maintenance of operational facilities, upgrade and repairs/restoration of vandalised transmission lines, installation of new transformers and substations, re-calibration and reconfiguration of transmission lines and transformer protection schemes.
“We take pride in the fact that these measures effectively reduced the frequency of systems disturbances and collapse, resulting in an all-time national peak generation of 5,801.60MW, successfully transmitted on March 1,2021,” he said.
He noted other key milestone achievements by the company to include the creation of Kano Region, bringing to ten TCN’s regional operations centre in the country.
To further enhance its operational efficiency, Abdulaziz said the TCN is building over 32 office complexes nationwide, including regional, sub-regional offices and work centres, which are at various stages of completion, except the Port Harcourt Regional Office in Rivers State already completed and commissioned.
To create a more conducive working environment for staff efficiency, he said during the year the company also provided work tools and safety equipment, spare parts, test equipment, among others.
During the first company management retreat during the year to re-strategize on the way forward, he said issues that bordered on further increasing efficiency and rebranding of the company were discussed.
On how to sustain the company’s capacity building, the MD said TCN embarked upon training and retraining of all cadre of staff, the most significant being the collaboration between TCN and the World Bank to train 708 engineers.
On addressing human resources issues, he said the company embarked on the sensitisation of all staff on the reviewed 2020 Conditions of Service and Career Progression Paths, with the 2021 promotion exercise conducted with improvements in industrial harmony with the two in-house labour unions maintaining cordial relations throughout the year.
He commended the commitment of the new Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, to success of the sector, he said TCN was able to play its part in fostering positive collaboration among power sector stakeholders towards the achievement of the common goal of providing steady electricity supply to Nigerians.
On the development of the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), the MD said as the Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board TCN continued to show leadership in the project, with progress being made on the implementation of transmission interconnection projects that would impact positively on the sub-region.
On the challenges that affected the operations of the company and its achievements, he identified them to include the right of way encroachment, way leave issues, funding, natural disaster, vandalism of TCN infrastructure and facilities as well as insecurity.
To address these challenges, he said his management has continued to engage the appropriate stakeholders and authorities with a view to minimising their impact on TCN operations nationwide.
“TCN’s community engagement efforts and collaborations with security agencies and state governments are gradually producing positive results.
“As we work towards our vision, we cannot afford to rest on our oars. We must strive for higher accomplishments in the NESI. We must continue to leverage on team spirit and corporate commitment in our determination to further increase grid capacity, stability and efficiency as well as enhance interconnectivity in the West African sub-region.
“In 2022 and beyond, we will intensify our effort on repositioning TCN as a world class transmission service provider and system operator in line with the our Vision, Mission and Core Values through effective rebranding strategies,” he said.
Urging the staff to plan to do more in 2022, he enjoined them to be more committed to playing their respective roles to help TCN realise its vision to become one of the leading electricity transmission companies in the world.
