POWER: NAPTIN BEGINS TRAINING OF 300 TCN ENGINEERS FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY

LAGOS, Nigeria – The management of National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has commenced training of 300 engineers of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) under the international collaboration with the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA).NAPTIN commence the first batch of two weeks training was flagged off in Lagos with the six geo-political zones of the TCN regional workers represented.

Mr Ahmed Nagode, the Acting Director General of NAPTIN in his welcome speech, urged the trainees to grab the opportunity with both hands and make best use of it, by ensuring that they achieved the objectives of this programme. Nagode said that the programme will make the participants better industry players in their operational activities and also guarantee safety on the network.

He commended the participants for their understanding and their readiness to learn; adding that the training would facilitates better knowledge and technical skilled for the participants. According to Nagode, under the collaboration NAPTIN will be training staff of power utilities in Nigeria and Ghana to the tune of 545, while TCN alone constitutes 300 and the distribution companies will be 203, VRA/Gridco Ghana 42

`We are privileged to be the only APUA centre of excellence in the whole of English speaking West Africa. This feat was achieved as a result of NAPTIN meeting the requirements of APUA for admission into the African Network of Centre of Excellence in Electricity (ANCEE) culminating in an MOU with APUA whose dividend we are witnessing today, he said.

The NAPTIN boss said that initiative will not only lead to enhancement of the capacity and competency of the manpower of these utilities, but also transform into improvement in the delivery of electricity to the countries.

He said that the initiative will also serve as a mean of generating foreign exchange to the nation because this contract with APUA is in Euro currency and being paid to our TSA account. He said that the training programme was being implemented in batches in order not to unsettle the smooth and scheduled operations of the Utilities.

“The first batch of 106 which we have started this week is of two trades namely Transformer and Switch gears Maintenance with 60 trainees and this is taking place here in Lagos. While the Power System Protection training of 46 staff is holding simultaneously in our Kainji Regional Training Centre, New Bussa Niger State.

“It must be stated here that our venture into regional and international partnership is in fulfillment of our target under the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) goals, well articulated under the leadership of our Minister Babatunde Fashola .

Nagode lauded the support of the managing director of TCN for his invaluable support and belief in NAPTIN. He said that the MD has equally demonstrated an uncommon professionalism and leadership in his role as the Chairman of West African Power Pool (WAPP) by ensuring that NAPTIN takes it rightful and well deserved place in the capacity building initiative of the regional body.

“This has enhanced the ongoing WAPP initiative of developing a business model for NAPTIN Kainji  as Regional Centre of Excellence, which will lead to infrastructural, curricular and faculty developments of NAPTIN Kainji RTC with the ultimate goal of achieving financial self sustainability. Association of Electricity Distributions (ANED) must also be commended for the support and  co-operation they have given NAPTIN.

“The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has keyed into President Mohammed Buhari’s administration initiative of job creation for Nigerian teeming youths,’’ he said. 

Nagode said that  NAPTIN will this year be training young Nigerians who seek to develop career in the power sector, on skills acquisition programmes  that are in high demand in the privatized utilities namely, Distribution Substation  Operation (DSO), Cable Jointing, Lines Maintenance, and Electrical Fitting. He said that the institution would also be training on Solar PV Installation and Maintenance which will give those who graduate from this course opportunity to be selfemployed.

He said that this will also play a critical role in the country’s drive towards promoting renewable energy as an alternative source of power production. According to him, the first batch for the first quarter is 200 drawn across the six geo- political zones.

“NAPTIN has a robust curriculum, state of the arts training equipments and highly trained faculty in Solar PV system that has qualified her as a leading training outfit in this area and our pedigree. This  has earned us recognition as centre for training and certification by ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and also a collaboration with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to train young Nigerians in Solar PV Skills acquisition.

“We have just concluded a training collaboration with WINROCK, under the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) sponsored by USAID,’’ Nogade added.

In his remark, Mr Usman Muhammad, the Managing Director, TCN, said that the training will translate to best opportunities for staff in delivery effective services to the public.

Muhammed who was represented by Mr Ifeanyi Ezeukwu, the Executive Director, Human Resources said that “ for a long while now, we have not train this level of engineers of various offices,  but with the support of APUA and NAPTIN  we are now able to train them to impact the industry and network.

According to him, at the end of the day we will be able to deliver power for Nigerians and reduce the level of restiveness in the rural area. “After the training the officer will apply themselves in the repairs of the transformers and rehabilitates faulty lines and equipments,’ he said.One of the trainees, Mr Nasiru Aliyu from TCN Kaduna region commended the management of TCN and NAPTIN for organising the training programme for field engineers, adding that such training will impacts positively on their operations.