NEMSA plans more field offices to enforce standards

The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) is set to create more inspectorate field offices in all states of the federation in a bid to enforce technical standards, regulations and codes in the electricity sector nationwide.

The Establishment Act mandates the agency to enforce technical standards and regulations, technical inspection, testing and certification of all categories of electrical installations, electricity meters and instruments; to ensure the efficient production and delivery of safe, reliable and sustainable electricity power supply, as well as guarantee the safety of lives and property in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and other allied industries and workplaces.

NEMSA Managing Director/CEO, Aliyu Tukur Tahir, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, noted that the roles, responsibilities and functions of NEMSA were very critical in the power sector, adding that to be effective, more engineers and technical personnel were needed.

Tahir said, “The government is doing its bit. However, with the evolving global trend in electricity generation and transmission, especially as the world is tilting towards renewable energy, there is a need for our engineers and technical staff to be trained and retrained for the requisite knowledge.”

He said NEMSA was determined to continue to carry out its statutory functions of technical inspection, testing and certification of all electrical materials and equipment in the electricity industry.

NEMSA, he disclosed, was among the first government agencies to be ISI-certified.

Listing some of the achievements of the agency, he revealed that it had tested and calibrated over 2.6 million meters; inspected and tested 21,681 electricity installation projects, monitored 16,624 electricity networks, inspected, tested and certified fit about 4,921 factories, hazardous installations and public places nationwide.

He disclosed that a number of prosecutions had been made by the agency for breach of recommended standards, with four convictions secured.