Energy Briefs
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THE federal government has assured Nigerians that it will arrest fake manufacturers of power equipments in the country. Mohammed Wakil, minister of state for power, said the government was set to enforce quality control and standard of electricity installations across the country. At the recent inauguration of the re-modelled National Meter Testing Station in Lagos, the minister said having successfully reformed the generation, transmission and distribution sub-sectors, this present administration would focus on the delivery of safe and reliable electricity supply to Nigerians.
“We are resolved to enhance consumers and investors’ confidence and satisfaction, through sustained inspection, testing and certification of electrical materials and equipment. Electricity materials should be of the right quality and specifications. All categories of electrical installations, power systems and networks must be properly planned, designed and executed before use. Gone are the days of sub-standard equipment and installations, which compromised safety of Nigerians. More pointedly, manufacturers of fake power equipment are hereby put on notice. The long arm of the law shall catch up with those endangering the lives of Nigerians,” he said.
According to the minister, Nigerians not only want adequate power supply but also safety and reliability of the equipment. Wakil said the significance of safety and quality control informed the establishment of the Electricity Management Services Limited, EMSL.
He said the EMSL was one of the successor companies established by law, which has grown from nothing to an emerging giant.
“EMSL, a pivotal part of the power sector, provides technical support services of enforcement of technical standards, safety and specifications in the sector. These technical support services have saved stakeholders millions of Naira, arising from frequent replacement of bad/faulty meters, electrical materials and equipment. For EMSL to perform this function effectively, a well-equipped National Meter Testing Station capable of carrying out effective service of quality control and enforcement is a must. This is one of the core reasons why we are here. Remodelling and upgrading of this National Meter Testing Station and opening the Technical Inspectorate Services Field Office are inevitable in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.
Wakil noted that EMLS had within a short period achieved remarkable successes. The minister identified the successes to include the remodelled meter test station and others at Kaduna and Port Harcourt. He also pointed out that the technical inspectorate services field offices of EMSL have detected defective power equipment in many zones across the country.
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Schneider Electric to Train 400 Electricians
SCHNEIDER Electric, the global specialist in energy management, in partnership with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, NAPTIN, will train more than 400 electricians in March 2015. At the inauguration of the ultra-modern Schneider Electric laboratory at NAPTIN regional training centre, Ijora, Lagos, Walid Sheta, country president, Schneider Electric, reiterated the company’s commitment towards the development of skilled personnel in the sector.
“Our goal has always been to improve the quality of personnel in the sector. With this laboratory and the training programme, retail electricians can get affordable, world class training and certification. Not only will the training increase their skills and boost their confidence, our homes will also be safer if electrical installations are done by properly trained and certified electricians” he said.
In his remarks, Reuben Okeke, director general, NAPTIN, noted that, inadequate capacity building in the power sector has led to skill gap in generation, transmission and distribution and also in the areas of management of regulatory and policy framework, adding that with partners like Schneider Electric, adequate training is becoming a reality. He said the inauguration of the Schneider Electric’s laboratory equipment has directly given the power sector a boost as a result of the quality of training now available.
Okeke stated that the training sessions offer about 10 modules and one certification session course in electricity for installers. The modules include among others: ‘Choosing Equipment’, ‘Avoiding Fake Products’, ‘Motor Starters and Industrial Components’, ‘Motion Sensors and Cable Management Systems’, ‘Changeovers’, ‘Refining Electricity Skills’,
‘Working Safely’, and ‘Alternative Power’.
He noted that the retail electricians training programme would be facilitated by Schneider Electric and NAPTIN trainers who were trained for one year in France by Schneider Electric. Though the electricians in Schneider Electric Nigeria retail network will pay a stipend for the training sessions, more than 50 percent of the fee is then reimbursed to installers active in the retail network in the form of credit notes to buy Schneider Electric products. The trainings will take place at the Schneider Electric laboratory, with didactical benches and a cubicle room for domestic wiring.
— Feb. 23, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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Tags: Alternative Power Avoiding Fake Products Changeovers Choosing Equipment Electricity Management Services Limited electricity supply EMSL Fake Power Equipment Goodluck Jonathan Mohammed Wakil Motion Sensors and Cable Management Systems Motor Starters and Industrial Components NAPTIN National Meter Testing Station National Power Training Institute of Nigeria Refining Electricity Skills Reuben Okeke Schneider Electric sub-standard equipment Walid Sheta Working Safely
