NEMSA’s Mandate Separate from SON’s, Agency Maintains

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has reiterated its commitment to the effective discharge of its statutory mandate, stressing that it has distinct responsibilities from those of other government agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating overlapping functions of government agencies had last week argued that NEMSA had same functions with the standards organisation, lamenting that government was facing a huge challenge in funding them.

But in statement issued by the public affairs department of NEMSA in Abuja, it explained that the management under the leadership of the Managing Director/Chief Executive officer, Aliyu Tahir, was working round the clock to ensure that Nigerians have efficient, safe and reliable power supply by ensuring that materials and equipment are of high quality. 

NEMSA insisted that the agency is charged with the responsibility to carry out the functions of enforcement of technical standards and regulations, technical inspection, testing and certification of all categories of electrical installations, electricity meters and instruments.

It added that this is to ensure an efficient production and delivery of safe, reliable and sustainable electricity power supply and guarantee safety of lives and property in the Nigerian electricity supply industry (NESI) and other allied industries/workplaces and premises

According to the statement, the priority of the agency is that Nigerians should have electricity networks that are stable.

 “When we go out on inspection we make sure that all the requirements are complied with before we can issue a certification for that equipment to be installed for use in the country. We inspect transformers; assemblers and manufacturers as well as cable manufacturers across the country and through that means, we ensure that these equipment and materials are tested and certified before they are deployed for use in the country,” NEMSA stated.