BY CHRIS OCHAYI
ABUJA – The successful execution of the reforms in the nation’s power sector, especially, the handing over of assets of liquidated Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to its new owners, hasno doubt brought in fresh challenges in the industry.

One of the numerous problems that confronted the pre-privatisation of sector was the dearth of technical workforce. This is partly due to the embargo placed on employment since 1998.It was very critical that the country experienced over 16 years of non-employment of engineers in the power sector.

Post privatisation challenges

To tackle the post privatisation challenges, the Federal Government decided to establish the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, NAPTIN, the idea is to make sure that that huge gap in manpower requirement is bridged.

The decision is informed by the fact that if the nation doesn’t have the local capacity, then the local content law may not achieve its aim since the investors will definitely look elsewhere to fill the manpower gap.

NAPTINis therefore to ensure that the country has enough engineers and craftsmen for the investors to shop from.

From the manpower requirement survey, Nigeria will need about 8,244 trained engineers and technologists to support the increased in generation requirement.

It will also be require about 17, 500 technical manpower including lines men, cable jointers, fitters and so on to support megawatts required.

The initiative recorded the graduation of 243 engineers in Generation, Transmission and Distribution fields trained by NAPTIN on the 7th of November 2013 for the 2012/2013 session. A great number of the graduates have already secured employment in the power sector with effort being made to absorb the others.

This also followed by the induction of another 308 engineers under the Graduate Skill Development Programmes, NGSDP, of NAPTIN in Abuja.

The inductees, who were mostly sponsored by their respective state governments, comprised of 72 mechanical engineers, and 236 electrical engineers that will undergo the 12 months Training.

Multi-agency support

To support capacity building in the sector, the Subsidy Re-investment Programme, SURE-P, also sponsored 220 students to the NAPTIN graduate skill development programme.

The Minister of Labour, Chief EmekaNwogu, who performed the Induction ceremony, commended SURE-P for initiating the giant step, which according to him, will enhance growth in the power sector and as well, as reducing the rate of unemployment among the teeming youths in the country.

Determined to reposition NAPTIN for effective service delivery through relevant training modules, the government embarked on the construction of its permanent site in Abuja.

Located at an expansive parcel of land measuring 10.4 hectares in Idu Industrial layout, Abuja, the construction work on the administrative tower, described as world standard has already reached an advanced stage.

The NAPTIN permanent site is envisaged to incorporate electricity generation and distribution schools, as well as a transmission substation that will serve as instructional facilities, while also supplying electricity to the industrial layout.

The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, while on an inspection tour of the complex, which is estimated to cost over N16 billion,urged stakeholders to take advantage of this local content initiative by making it a Centre for functional professional capacity building for the nation’s power sector.

He said that government would give priority to capacity building in the sector in order to avoid the repeat of ugly experience of the oil industry where the workforce, including the low level, turned out to be expatriates.

But in his remarks, the Director-General of NAPTIN, Engr. Reuben Okeke, said that the project is now at 70% completion stage, and is expected to be commissioned before the end of the year.

Okeke appealed to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to help the Institute in clearing a massive dump site on the land, which had created construction challenges and increased the project cost considerably.

On the training capacity, he said the institution was involved in an intensive one year training year programme designed to equip graduates of Engineering with requisite skills and practical knowledge to pursue careers in the power sector.

He also explained that “for the effective delivery of its training programmes, NAPTIN has renovated and equipped its Regional Training Centres, RTC, located in the six geo- political zones of the country to world- class learning centres with state -of the arts facilities including classrooms and well-equipped libraries.

According to him, “the Electrical Power System Training Simulator at Ijora RTC and Electrical Engineering laboratory at the Kainji Training Centre are assets that will avail Nigerians the opportunity of receiving practical training skills in various fields of power occupation.”