Professional Bodies Partner Nigerian Varsities on Power Generation

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

A set of professional bodies under the auspices of Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineering (IEEE), has concluded plans to partner Nigerian universities on power generation.

The move is designed to close the gap between Nigerians that are connected to the national power grid and those yet to.

The General Chairman and Head, Power Africa, Mr. Tunde Saliu said at the group’s meeting recently at the Central Bank of Nigeria Institute in Abuja, that after realising that 46 per cent of Nigerians do not enjoy adequate power supply despite new trends in the energy sector, tertiary institutions must be involved for positive output.

He said the promotion of new energy techniques in the academia will bring immediate change in the power sector and will boost students’ capacity towards entrepreneurial skills, adding that the sector is a goldmine to be explored.

“Our goal is to improve electricity for Africa’s 500 million people who are without it. With this, there is need to promote knowledge and technical skills in the academia which will bring immediate change as these are some of the benefits of the programme.

“There is a big opportunity to make money in the power sector and there is need to encourage youths to invest in the power and energy sector as there are huge benefits for everyone, everywhere.

“While the rest of the world is moving and transforming, Africa can join by starting and that is a major advantage especially for villages, towns and cities which have turned out to be no longer safe to live in,” Saliu said.
He also stressed the need to have a robust session with the federal government on the sector, adding that the programme should be a pet child of the African Union.