FG tasks NSE on resolving power-related issues

Federal government has sought the collaboration of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, (NSE) in resolving power-related issues in the country.

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu said this became imperative to put an end to the lingering power crisis, as well boost the economy.

Adelabu made the call while receiving a courtesy visit from members of the NSE led by its President Engr. Margret Aina Oguntala in Abuja.

The visit is aimed at discussing areas of collaboration between the NSE and the Ministry.

Also, it centred on strategic partnerships, mentorship opportunities, and the crucial role of NSE in providing technical advisory support to the Ministry on power-related issues.

According to the Minister, considering the numbers of engineers that the country has produced, Nigeria should have migrated from the engineering related problems facing the nation, especially in the power sector.

He challenged engineers in the country to take the issue of training seriously, encourage and be role model for the younger generation to enable them to show more interest in the profession while also assuring the NSE of willingness to work closely with the Society in addressing some of the challenges in the power sector.

“Let me thank you and your executive members for your visit to me and to the Power Ministry. There is no way to separate the Power Ministry from the NSE because most of our work here is engineering-related, so there is a natural relationship between us. But the issue is that, has this relationship crystallised to mutual benefits? Has the ministry benefitted from the competence of the NSE members to impact the power infrastructure in the country in the supply of stable, functional, and reliable power?

“I want to challenge the body to let your activities impact the efficiency of the critical infrastructure of the ministry. In this, you must be seen to have lived up to your responsibility. We have so many engineers in Nigeria, yet our power infrastructure is still like this. NSE was established in 1958, that is about 67 years ago and yet we are still having grid collapse, so what are our engineers doing? Should it be like this? The answer is definitely, no.

While reviewing the activities of the Federal Government since the present administration took over, the Minister noted that It took Nigeria nearly 40 years to increase from 2000 megawatts in 1984 to 4000 megawatts that Nigeria had as at 2022, adding that less than two years of the present administration, this has increased to 6003 megawatts. He said though it was not where the country should be, it showed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was focused on turning around the power sector.

“In 1984, the country generated 2000mw of electrify and this was not increased to 4000mw untill about 40 years later around 2022 or so. We are about two years now, but we have been able to increase it to 6000 megawatts and this can be attributed to the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the realisation of the importance of the sector as a major factor to galvanise the economy”,

He advised the NSE to focus on the challenges besetting infrastructural development, saying that such efforts to develop the country are the way to show patriotism and nationalism.

“It is a slight on us if we cannot address these challenges, so I’m calling on your society to let us work together in addressing Nigeria’s problems, using your expertise.

The ministry does not give jobs out without such a company being a member of your society. We are not like any other ministry or government agency, the power sector is unique. So on our part, we are fulfilling our obligations to you but you have not reciprocated this to us.

Adelabu also emphasized the importance of manpower development, and training and enjoined the NSE to take it seriously.

“I also want the NSE to take the issue of training very seriously. The profession needs constant training and retraining. We have a very vibrant training institute, the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN) that you can partner with in this aspect of training.

It is unfortunate that the issue of training has been relegated to the background. The last crop of our engineers that were trained were those from the old National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). We must go back to that era of rigorous training of our engineers”.

Also on manpower development and local capacity building, the Minister called for collaboration with the Federal Government. “We must be able to produce all the materials we need in our power sector locally. This will promote employment, patronage for our local industries and companies and help us to conserve our foreign exchange.

You must also provide mentorship for the young ones coming behind you so that they can look up to you in the profession. In our younger days as accountants, we were always looking up and aspiring to be like the doyen of accountancy in the country like Chief Akintola Williams, the Dafinones. So, you have a responsibility to provide that leadership to keep those coming behind you focused”

In her remarks, the NSE president promised that the body would take up the challenges by the Minister and assured of NSE’s commitment to contributing technical expertise toward improving Nigeria’s power sector, fostering innovation, and enhancing capacity development within the industry.