Energy and Power
ECN trains MDAs on energy management systems
The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), through its Energy Management Systems project, has trained stakeholders in various Ministries and Agencies in Nigeria to enhance industrial energy performance and promote resource-efficient, cleaner production.
The training took place in Abuja on Monday.
The ECN said the initiative is implemented through programmatic approaches and the promotion of innovation in clean technology solutions.
Speaking during the event, the ECN Director General, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, stated that the aim of the training was to promote innovation in clean technology solutions under the NIG IEE/RECP Project, which is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
According to him, the project is also targeted at strengthening national industrial energy efficiency (IEE) policies and regulatory frameworks to encourage the adoption of UNIDO’s Energy Management Systems Standards (EnMS/ISO 50001) in Nigeria.
The Director General said, “With the increase in energy prices and the environmental impacts of energy consumption, there is a growing need for balanced energy usage and effective energy management to minimize energy wastage. It is therefore commendable that this timely training on Energy Management Systems (EnMS) is organized to present a systematic framework for establishing policies, processes, procedures, and specific energy-related tasks aimed at meeting an organization’s energy-saving targets.”
Also, the Program Coordinator for Environment and Energy at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Oluyomi Banjo, commended the ECN for organizing the training.
He said, “Globally, industries account for one-third of total energy consumption and almost 40% of worldwide COz emissions. The need to reduce energy consumption, environmental degradation, and resource depletion by industries in emerging economies is particularly urgent. Since 1990, global growth in industrial production has been dominated by emerging economies like India and China, which together accounted for over 80% of increased industrial production during this period.
“This project was collectively developed and submitted by UNIDO on behalf of Nigeria in 2017 under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 6 programming cycle. It was approved for full project development in 2017 and subsequently for full project implementation in 2020. It may interest you to know that, for the first time at UNIDO, we are integrating industrial energy efficiency with resource efficiency and cleaner production in a single project. In South Africa, UNIDO’s project on Industrial Energy Efficiency recently received the Best Project of the Year award from the Southern Africa Energy Efficiency Confederation. We look forward to replicating such achievements in Nigeria.”
“The outcome of this project is targeted at industries, aiming to develop an expert base in Nigeria that could also be exported to other countries in Africa and beyond.”
The Rural Electricity Agency (REA), in partnership with the Adamawa State Government, is set to convene the REA – Adamawa State Strategic Roundtable theme “Empowering Adamawa: Unlocking Private Sector Opportunities in Distributed Renewable Energy”, scheduled for the 3rd of March, 2025 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The Agency invites frontline stakeholders in the clean energy ecosystem, including private sector players and development finance institutions to this strategic, solution-focused Roundtable.
In line with the Agency’s ongoing State-by-State initiative designed to exploit the tenets of the 2023 Electricity Act, passed into Law by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Agency has sustained its drive to deliver on the objectives of the futuristic Act, while strengthening the National Electrification and Strategy Implementation Plan (NESIP).
Leaning on the strategic efforts of the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the REA State-by-State Strategic Roundtables continue to serve as a veritable tool and a meeting point to facilitate impactful partnerships between active stakeholders in the energy sector while exploring opportunities for the growth of the state electricity markets.
Having convened five Roundtables with five State Governments, the Agency is now working in lockstep with the Adamawa State Government, at the behest of His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Finitri, and the Managing Director of the REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, to facilitate structured, data-driven commitments for people-centred infrastructural development through innovation and sustainability in Adamawa State’s electricity market.
The State Government, under the leadership of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has advanced efforts towards strengthening its electricity market, including the planned establishment of Independent Power Plants across the state and the set-up of the Adamawa State Electricity Commission tasked with regulating the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in the State.
The 2023 Electricity Act, having aided the decentralization of the nation’s electricity sector has given State Governments the regulatory freedom over their respective electricity market.
Leaning on the mandate of the REA as well as the Agency’s technical and strategic expertise, the REA – Adamawa State Strategic Roundtable will serve as an opportunity to exploit the tenets of the NESIP; strengthening PPPs for data-driven clean energy projects in Adamawa state; supporting the State’s efforts on improved electricity distribution and renewable energy integration; exploring investment opportunities in Adamawa State Electricity market and exploring technology options for improved, sustainable energy access in the State.
The newly appointed Chairman of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Company, Dr. Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, along with the Board of Directors and other company leaders, has pledged to drive reforms aimed at improving efficiency in Nigeria’s electricity market.
This commitment was reiterated during Argungu’s visit to the organization’s headquarters on Tuesday.
Dr. Argungu, who also serves as the National Organizing Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was received by the NBET management team, led by Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Johnson Akinnawo, FCA, alongside the Board of Directors and senior executives.
A statement issued by Sani Galadima, Special Assistant to the APC National Organizing Secretary, confirmed the visit.
During the familiarization meeting, Mr. Akinnawo formally introduced Dr. Argungu to the Board and provided an overview of NBET’s operations, strategic objectives, and key initiatives. He highlighted the company’s pivotal role in ensuring a stable and efficient electricity trading framework in Nigeria, as well as ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s power sector.
In his remarks, Dr. Argungu expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and acknowledged NBET’s critical function in the electricity value chain. He pledged to work closely with the Board and management to enhance electricity trading and supply in alignment with the government’s broader energy agenda.
Emphasizing the importance of synergy among stakeholders, Argungu reaffirmed his commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. He underscored the need for policies that promote stability, transparency, and innovation, particularly in advancing sustainable and renewable energy solutions.
Dr. Argungu was accompanied by key APC officials, including Deputy National Organizing Secretary Nze Chidi Duru, Director of Organizing Dr. Suleiman Wambai, and Director of Election Management Tasi’u Muhammed. Others in his delegation included Special Assistant to the National Chairman Dr. Niyi Akinsiju, Chief of Staff to the Deputy National Organizing Secretary Dr. Ugboaja Stanley, and staff from the Directorate of Organizing.
Operators of the National Grid have cautioned against fake news of grid collapse making the round currently.
They are reacting to reports on social media on Wednesday that the national grid has collapsed, thereby plunging Nigerians into darkness.
After the social media became abuzz over alleged power outage across the country, the operators of national issued a rebuttal via their official X account saying: “Beware of Fake News Merchants!” the terse statement read.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu reacting to grid challenge in Nigeria, said, the National Grid would continue to collapse until the repair on Ugwachi-Bauchi-Makurdi line is executed.
He further disclosed that the attempts to repair the line have been hampered by insecurity in the north and, therefore, called for the insecurity to be addressed.
In his words, the inability to fix the damaged line as a result of insecurity is putting undue pressure on existing infrastructure and has made the grid fragile.
Adelabu also pointed out that the grid is old and requires a total overhaul to make it efficient.
He however denied reports that the National Grid collapsed 12 times in 2024, saying it experienced only 8, out of which 5 were full and 3 partial collapses.
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