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NERC Unbundles TCN, Establishes Nigerian Independent System Operator

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has unbundled the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The commission made this known in a circular dated April 30, 2023, and jointly signed by its Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, respectively.

NERC said following the unbundling of the TCN, it has established the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (NISO). It noted that by this order, TCN is expected to transfer all market and system operation functions to the new company.

The commission had previously issued Transmission Service Provider (TSP) and System Operations (SO) licences to TCN, in accordance with the Electric Power Sector Reform Act.

However, the Electricity Act 2023, which came into effect on June 9, provided clearer guidelines for the incorporation and licensing of the independent system operator (ISO), as well as the transfer of assets and liabilities of TCN’s portion of the ISO.

Therefore, in the circular, the commission ordered the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to incorporate, unfailingly on May 31, a private company limited by shares under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.

The company, NERC said, is expected “to carry out the market and system operation functions stipulated in the Electricity Act and the terms and conditions of the system operation licence issued to TCN.

It said: “The name of the company shall, subject to availability at Corporate Affairs Commission, be the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (NISO).

“Citing the object clause of the NISO’s memorandum of association (MOU) as provided in the Electricity Act, NERC said the company shall “hold and manage all assets and liabilities pertaining to market and system operation on behalf of market participants and consumer groups or such stakeholders as the Commission may specify.”

NERC said the new ISO will also be responsible for negotiating and entering into a contract for the procurement of ancillary services with independent power producers and successor generation licensees.

The Commission added that it will generally carry out market and system operations functions as specified under the Electricity Act and the terms of its licence in the interest of market participants and system users.

NERC said the company is expected to carry out all market and system operation-related contractual rights and obligations handed over by TCN.

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Rivers Assembly Formally Serves Impeachment Notice To Gov. Fubara

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The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally served an impeachment notice to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.

 

The move marks the third major attempt to remove the governor since 2023, following his return to office in September 2025 after a six-month state of emergency.

 

Recall that the assembly on Thursday during an emergency plenary, commenced the impeachment of the governor and his deputy.

 

26 members of the House accused the governor of misconduct, capable of undermining democracy in the state.

 

The notice which was addressed to the governor, contained the signature of at least 19 lawmakers.

 

The notice also contained about 8 alleged gross misconducts by the governor and his administration.

 

In a post on its official Facebook page,the assembly said, “The impeachment notice has been successfully served on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara”.

 

 

 

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NCC, CBN Set To Roll Out Refund Framework For Failed Airtime And Data Transactions

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In line with the consumer-focused objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the two regulators have drawn up a framework to address consumer complaints arising from unsuccessful airtime and data transactions during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.

 

The framework is the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders. These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.

 

The Framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints. It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services. It also prescribes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the transaction and resolution process.

 

Under the new framework, where a purchaser is debited but fails to receive value for airtime or data—whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee—the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, except in circumstances where the transaction remains pending, of which the refund can take up to 24 hours.

 

The framework further mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. It also addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.

 

Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett disclosed that the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failures, the responsible party, refunds, and track SLA breaches in real time.

 

“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” she said.

 

“We are grateful to all stakeholders—particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership—for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework, and for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.

 

“So far, pending the approval of management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.”

 

Mrs. Bruce-Bennett further noted that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, once the two regulators have made final approvals, and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs is concluded.

 

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PRESIDENT TINUBU HAILS NRS CHAIRMAN, ZACCH ADEDEJI, ON HIS BIRTHDAY

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President Bola Tinubu congratulates Dr Zacch Adedeji, the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, on his birthday.

 

President Tinubu commends Adedeji’s sterling leadership of the 83-year-old revenue agency, the introduction of fresh ideas, the adoption of global best practices, the automation of systems, and the upskilling of staff members for the greater good of the nation.

 

“I salute the NRS Chairman for his visionary and charismatic dedication in restructuring, aligning and managing the revenue profile of the country.

 

“He recorded a historic achievement, meeting the budget targets in the Third Quarter of 2025, and stimulating the economy for prosperity.

 

“Zacch has also been instrumental in the adoption of the National Single Window, a transformative federal digital platform to streamline import and export processes, enhance transparency and reduce cargo clearance from 21 days to one week,” the President remarks.

 

Dr Adedeji previously served as a senior member of Procter & Gamble’s management team, as Commissioner of Finance for Oyo State, and as Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, where he established the National Sugar Institute.

 

He also served as Special Adviser to the President on Revenue before being appointed as FIRS chairman in September 2023.

 

The President prays that the Almighty God will grant the NRS Chairman more years of good health, wisdom and strength to keep serving the nation.

 

 

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