NERC Pushes for “Operation Zero” as NESI Safety Performance Shows Q1 2026 Improvement

At the First 2026 Bi-Annual NESI HSE Managers' Meeting, a report presented by the Technical Regulation Division of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) highlighted a 41.7% decline in significant safety incidents across the sector compared to Q4 2025.

Key Q1 2026 improvements include:

🔻 Fatalities dropped from 27 to 17

🔻 Injuries fell from 18 to 13

🔻 Incident notifications declined from 48 to 28

While this data shows encouraging progress, every incident represents a human life. The Commission reaffirms "Operation Zero" as the industry's ultimate safety objective.

Hosted in collaboration with the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and bringing together HSE managers from GenCos, DisCos, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), the meeting concluded with a clear directive. Moving forward, licensees must:

✅ Strengthen compliance with the revised NESI Health & Safety Code.

✅ Establish dedicated HSE Management Committees.

✅ Improve HSE reporting and audits.

✅ Implement outstanding resolutions from the November 2025 Meeting.

Stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to improving safety performance and reducing operational risks across the electricity sector.