By Cynthia Alo

ICT and infrastructure development company, PPC has said the need to minimize error in business processes, meet regulatory requirements and make smarter business decisions is currently driving the demand for industrial automation and control systems.

Industrial automation is the use of control systems, such as computers or robots, and information technologies for handling different processes and machineries in an industry to replace a human being

Director of Operations and Head of ICT Division at PPC, Dr. Patrick Ede, while reviewing recent industry trends, noted that the production of high-quality products is a non-negotiable regulatory requirement that all industries must meet.

According to him, industrial automation and control systems can help organizations produce high-precision quality products while meeting health, safety, and environmental requirements.

He called for investment in technological infrastructure capable of reversing business losses, driving digital transformation, meeting growing operations challenges, and boosting business competitiveness.

On the benefit of this in the Oil and Gas sector, he said automation using Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is particularly useful in the remote monitoring and control of Oil and Gas facilities and activities in real-time, improving the efficiency of oil exploration and production activities.

Ede noted that the digital technology used in industrial automation could also significantly transform the manufacturing sector, create new efficient business models and drive effective business growth and expansion.

He said, “New technologies used in automation are streamlining industrial operations, ensuring cost savings and optimum resource utilization.

“The Nigerian power sector has witnessed improvement in the delivery and reliability of electricity through the remote monitoring of interconnected electricity transmission networks. The GENCOs and DISCOs are using SCADA solutions to monitor the grid, discover abnormalities such as low or high voltage and troubleshoot various faulty situations effectively.”

Such systems as HMI/SCADA solutions allow for remote monitoring, control and visualization of industrial processes for critical operative crisis prevention, improved operational awareness and quick decision-making by managers of industrial systems,” he added.