BY CHRIS OCHAYI

The Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, has emphasized the need to revolutionize the technology in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, to keep the system in tandem with the challenges of the time.

Amadi, who stated this during the presentation of the Nigeria Electricity Supply and Installations Standards, NESIS, document to the Commission by the Chairman of the Technical Working Group, TWG, Mrs. Foluseke Somolu, in Abuja, said the change was necessary for the reform in the sector to succeed.

While commending the document being presented, he added that, “We expect a high quality document because of the composition of the technical working group, made up of lawyers, professors, and engineers.”

The TWG comprised of members representing a wide spectrum of electricity industry stakeholders including, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE; Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON; Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN; and the Federal Ministry of Power.

Others are the Lagos State Electricity Board; Metering Code Panels, MCP; Distribution Code Review Panel, DCRP; representatives of the Distribution Companies; Licensed Electricity Contractors Association of Nigeria, LECAN; Rural Electrification Agency, REA; the academia; Law firms, and NERC.

Amadi further asserted that the Electrical Installation Regulation, which was promulgated in 1996, has become obsolete, and this serves as the basis for the development of this updated regulatory document.

He noted that the Technical Working Group, which had been working on the document since 2012, was an indicator that crowd-sourcing is more valuable than outsourcing to consultants.

He stated that the regulations ensure fluid generation, transmission, and distribution in the electricity industry, which is necessary for the reform in the sector to succeed.

He was supported by the Commissioner for Engineering, Standards and Safety, Mrs. Mary Awolokun, who stated that the document is a vital development for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry because it covers all aspects of the value chain in the electricity industry.