The ad-hoc committee on Power, established by Ikeja Branch to support the President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr Babagana Mohammed, a member of Special Purpose Vehicle on Presidential Power Initiative (PPI-SPV) by President Muhammadu Buhari, to drive the National Power Initiative and implementation have submitted its report. The report which was submitted at the Gala night during the NSE International Conference held in Abuja made many far reaching recommendations to address the national power challenge.
Introducing the committee, the chairman of the Branch Engr Tosin Ogunmola recalled that the Branch was inspired to constitute a high level technical committee following the appointment of our President Engr Babagana Mohammed as a member of the the Presidential Special purpose Vehicle Committee on Power.
He said the choice of Engr Olu Ogunduyile as the chairman of the think tank was informed by his vast experiences in the sector while other high level and equally experienced members complements him.
In his Address, the Chairman of the Think Tank Engr Olu Ogunduyile , who is also the Managing Director, Kenol Nigeria Ltd, thanked the engineers for trusting him to lead such enormous initiative.
He said Power is one of the most critical challenges facing the country in its bid towards attaining true economic development. He said our country cannot advance technologically like the other countries we look to emulate without addressing the power and energy challenges.
Ogunduyile, who has garnered experiences in power sector over the last 30 years both local and international, pointed out that the challenge is not in Engineering capacity or the engineers. He cited many cases of power infrastructures that has been supplied by Nigerian engineers and also works done by local engineers. He also pointed out that engineers ready for the challenges.
In its recommendations, Ogunduyile said the think tank highlighted the need for decentralization of national grid network to accommodate regional, sub-transmission and sub-distribution hub development. The committee also recommended the creation of National Power Planning Authority NPPA that will be saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the enforcement and implementation of the nation’s masterplan on power demand and supply side of management.
Also part of the recommendations include adoption of renewable energy and immediate expansion and strengthening of existing 330KV, 132KV transmission and substation lines to accommodate the evacuation of all available generating capacity in excess of 7000MW presently trapped at the various thermal plants across the country.
Other items in the report also contains the need for human capacity development for engineers with focus on maximizing the gains of Executive Order 5 towards national development; the issue of revenue collection affecting the sector through enhanced billion system, metering and reduction in power theft was also addressed.
It till be recalled that the Ikeja Branch recently constituted an Ad-hoc Committee and saddled it with the task of developing recommendations from the engineers to the Presidential Initiative of the president Mohammadu Buhari who has appointed the NSE President, Babagana Mohammed as its only practicing engineer.
The members of the Power Committee are: Engr Olu Ogunduyile, Chairman, Engr Akinsola Cole, Vice Chairman; Engr M. B. Odetokun, Engr. Adegboyega Adeleye, Engr Olajide Kumapayi, Engr Bunmi Daramola and Engr Ayodele Sagoe, as commitee members. while Engr Atinuke Wuraola Owolabi and Mr Messiah Ameh served as the secretary and assistant secretary respectively.
-Isqil Najim, Ayobami Ogundairo
Engineers Inaugurates Ad-hoc Committee to support Presidential Initiative on Power