TCN Goes Digital, Unveils Platform to Cut Outages, Track Grid Losses By Raymond Enoch
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has unveiled a new Load & Outage Analytics platform designed to strengthen monitoring of the national transmission grid, improve reliability and provide faster, data-driven responses to outages and system losses.
The digital platform was presented and demonstrated on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, during a technical session organised by TCN’s Operations Department at the company’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, with members of management and staff in attendance.
Representing the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, the General Manager, Project Coordination, Engr. Aminu Tahir, commended the team behind the initiative for developing and introducing the analytics platform into the company’s operations.
He noted that although the system was not yet fully deployed, the technology had already provided greater visibility into the transmission network.
Abdulaziz stressed that technical and commercial losses remained major concerns affecting the performance of the transmission system, underscoring the need for more effective load management, improved understanding of network performance and better supply-demand matching.
According to him, improved load management and greater grid stability would help reduce outages, enhance operational efficiency and minimise the costs associated with prolonged interruptions.
He added that effective control and maintenance of transmission infrastructure would contribute significantly to reducing losses while strengthening the overall reliability and stability of Nigeria’s electricity network
Presenting the platform, the General Manager, Operations, Engr. Godwin Afamefuna Aguiyi, identified fragmented data management and slow reporting processes as some of the major challenges confronting TCN’s current reliability reporting system.
He explained that operational data are presently scattered across spreadsheets maintained by different regions, while manual compilation can take several days. The process, he said, also creates inconsistencies in the calculation of key performance indicators and lacks a comprehensive audit trail.
These shortcomings, according to Aguiyi, can delay management decisions and undermine accurate national assessments of grid reliability.
The new Load & Outage Analytics platform, he explained, is a Streamlit-based application comprising 13 modules developed to unify and streamline operational reporting.
Significantly, the platform was conceived and developed entirely in-house by TCN’s Operations Department, barely a year after the establishment of the company’s Transmission Service Operator (TSO) department.
The development, he said, demonstrates the growing technical capacity within TCN to design digital solutions tailored to the operational realities of Nigeria’s transmission network.
The platform provides detailed region, station, transformer and feeder-level views for load analysis, while automatically classifying outages and generating reliability Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reports.
It can also produce board-ready reports within minutes instead of the days previously required for manual compilation.
The system incorporates governance and accountability features, including role-based access, structured data uploads and comprehensive audit trails.
Under the new arrangement, staff will access the platform using individual credentials, eliminating the practice of shared logins and reducing dependence on unmanaged spreadsheet-based reporting.
During the live demonstration, Aguiyi used July 2026 outage data to illustrate the platform’s analytical capabilities.
He stressed that the figures presented were representative of raw data submitted by regional teams and were intended as a working basis for cross-referencing with the official release of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) for the same period.
According to the data presented, 3,714 outages were recorded nationwide in July, resulting in 48,603 megawatt-hours (MWh) of load lost.
The Lagos Region accounted for 20,693 MWh of the recorded load loss, including 572 emergency outages, 306 forced outages and 129 planned outages.
The presentation further showed that 22 feeders exceeded allowable outage hours, with associated losses valued at ₦720.33 million.
One example cited was the OBOSI feeder in Onitsha, which recorded a loss of 1,063.74 MWh at Band A rates, illustrating the scale of inefficiencies that feeder-level data analytics could help identify and address.
Aguiyi, however, clarified that the 33kV feeder-level outage figures represented the load and outage segment for which TCN alone was accountable during July, distinguishing it from the portion attributable to Distribution Companies (DisCos).
A major component of the platform is its integration of the Fault Attribution Ratio (FAR), a regulatory framework used to determine responsibility for service interruptions between TCN and the DisCos.
Aguiyi explained that under the applicable Service Level Agreement, TCN’s allowable downtime responsibility is set at 30 per cent, while DisCos account for 70 per cent.
He clarified that the figures represent an allocation basis for permitted downtime and should not be interpreted as a fixed 30:70 split for every individual outage.
Rather, each outage is separately assessed and attributed according to the identified fault type and the responsible segment of the network.
The system, he said, would therefore provide a more structured basis for determining responsibility and compensation while strengthening accountability among electricity sector operators.
Aguiyi further disclosed that, if fully deployed alongside the required interface energy measurement devices, the platform could support monitoring of the Transmission Losses Factor (TLF) across the network.
He recommended nationwide deployment of the system, integration with Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time data capture, and upgrades to supporting infrastructure, including computer systems, display screens and internet connectivity at transmission stations.
Such integration, he noted, would move TCN further away from manual reporting towards real-time visibility of network conditions and faster operational decision-making.
The Executive Director, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Mrs. Abiodun Afolabi-Fadahunsi, reaffirmed management’s commitment to providing technical teams with the tools and resources required to sustain national grid stability.
She emphasised the importance of equipping engineers and system operators with modern technologies capable of supporting seamless grid operations, while commending their professionalism and resilience in managing the network.
Afolabi-Fadahunsi said management was monitoring daily grid reports to identify and address operational requirements in real time.
She assured the technical teams of continued management support as TCN works towards improving the stability and reliability of the national grid.
The unveiling of the Load & Outage Analytics platform represents a significant step in TCN’s ongoing digital transformation efforts.
By consolidating operational data, automating outage classification, improving KPI reporting and providing feeder-level visibility, the platform has the potential to address some of the longstanding weaknesses associated with manual and fragmented grid reporting.
Its full deployment could also help TCN identify persistent network inefficiencies, improve accountability among sector operators, strengthen regulatory reporting and provide management with timely information for operational decisions.
However, the success of the initiative will depend on nationwide deployment, reliable digital infrastructure, accurate field data, integration with appropriate metering and measurement systems, and effective collaboration among TCN, NISO, DisCos and other stakeholders.
For a power sector where reliable data remains critical to understanding the causes and cost of outages, the new platform offers a glimpse of a more connected, transparent and data-driven approach to managing Nigeria’s transmission network.
