The Federal Government has ordered all electricity generation companies to implement Free Governor Control on their units or risk penalties, including disconnection from the national grid, to address frequent grid collapses.
The Federal Government has threatened to disconnect electricity generation companies (GenCos) from the national grid if they fail to comply with new regulations aimed at stabilising power supply.
In an order issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on August 26, 2025, the commission directed all grid-connected GenCos to implement Free Governor Control (FGC) across their generating units from September 1, 2025. NERC warned that non-compliance would attract penalties, including fines and eventual disconnection.
“Any GenCo that fails to comply with the provisions of sections 12.6.2 and 15.8.3 of the Grid Code on the integration and activation of FGC on all generating units by 30 November 2025 shall be liable to a penalty of a prorated 10 per cent of the invoice associated with the defaulting generating unit,” the order stated. It added that units recording 90 consecutive days of non-compliance would be disconnected from the grid.
Free Governor Control allows turbines and generators to automatically adjust output in response to grid frequency changes, helping to maintain stability. NERC said the measure became necessary following eight grid disturbances in 2024, including five total system collapses, which it attributed partly to GenCos’ failure to activate FGC.
The commission emphasised that the order is backed by the Electricity Act 2023, which mandates it to ensure grid safety, reliability, and service quality. It added that IoT-based monitoring systems would be deployed to enforce compliance in real time.