Baffled by the incessant collapse of the national grid, the Federal Government has issued a new directive mandating all electricity generation companies (GenCos) connected to the grid to implement Free Governor Control (FGC) across their generating units.
The order, issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and referenced NERC/2025/094, was signed on August 26, 2025, by the commission’s Vice-Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, and the Commissioner for Legal, Licensing & Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye. It will take effect from September 1, 2025.
NERC warned that failure to comply would attract severe penalties, including possible disconnection from the national grid.
In power generation, a governor is a control system that regulates the speed or output of a turbine or generator. Its primary function is to maintain a stable speed or frequency.
Free Governor Control (FGC) is a mode of operation where the governor of a turbine or generator is allowed to freely adjust output in response to changes in grid frequency. By doing so, each generator automatically increases or decreases supply to help balance demand and stabilize the grid.
NERC emphasized that enforcing FGC across all grid-connected GenCos is essential to improving grid reliability and reducing the frequency of nationwide blackouts.
