By Juliet Vincent
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, Hon. (Dr) Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi, has said safety in the Nigerian electricity sector cannot be compromised.
He said this during a briefing to present the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry Safety Conference at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Committee said it would collaborate with the Association for Public Policy Analysis and other stakeholders working in the Power Sector to organise the conference.
He said despite efforts by the Federal Government to address issues of safety in the sector, problems still exist.
These problems , he said, include vandalism, theft, installation of electricity by non-licensed electrical installers, production, marketing and use of sub-standard electrical materials among others.
“The Committee identified the Power Sector as an important sector whose safety standards and regulatory policies should be observed for effective legislative actions.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has made a commitment towards enhancing safety standards and regulations in the electricity sector by ascertaining laws, regulations and established institutions to coordinate, implement and enforce the laws.
“This is with the overall aim of ensuring that electricity service delivery in the country is carried out in a safe, secured and qualitative manner, devoid of loss of lives and properties such.
“Moreso, to relieve the occurrences of incidences such as electrical accidents, electrocution, distortion of the functionality of electricity networks and grids, theft and vandalism and so on.
“Despite the efforts of the Government in creating laws, setting up regulatory policies, establishing institutions of State and providing guidelines, codes and rules which operators in the sector should abide by, problems still exist,” he said.
He said the situation calls for concern on compliance and enforcement of laws and policies strengthened to enhance safety standards and regulations.
He said stakeholders, expected at the conference, have identified opportunities, prospects and challenges which need to be shared with Nigerian electricity stakeholders operating at States, Geo-Political Zones and Federal levels.
“This is to take advantage of existing opportunities, explore prospects and contribute to proffering solutions to challenges of safety standards and regulations in the power sector of the nation.
“The conference is no doubt going to lay a foundation that will enable the Committee carry out her constitutional functions of oversight and investigation enshrined in Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended,” he said.
He said the main objective of the conference is to bring stakeholders concerned with design, implementation and enforcement of safety standards and regulatory policies of Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry together with private sector operators, consumers and Nigeria’s International Development Partners.
“This is to appraise opportunities, prospects and challenges existing in the Safety Standards and Regulation segment of NESI with a view to coming up with a Legislative, investigative and oversight compliance as well, enforcement of electricity safety standards and regulation policy document,” he said.
He said it aims to develop an all-inclusive policy document that will strengthen the oversight and investigative responsibilities of the Committee to enhance safe, secured, quality electricity service delivery in the country.
Gumi said it would also provide opportunities for stakeholders responsible for training and capacity building in NESI to enhance the capacity of persons carrying out electricity installations to professionally apply safety standards and regulations.
He added that it would strengthen compliance and enforcement strategies for prevention of vandalism, theft, false declarations etc. through exposition on offences and penalties segment of Electricity Act 2023.
“The conference aims to build synergy among stakeholders and enhance collective approach to deal with the menace of manufacture, importation, marketing and use of sub-standard electrical materials and quackery in the nation’s power sector.
“It aims to address the challenges of importation of substandard solar systems and materials required for execution of renewable energy and climate change related projects, through articulation of framework for Renewable Energy Safety Standards and Regulations policy.
“It will also address the nexus between electricity safety standards and regulations, health and construction policies at the Local, State and Federal Government levels,” he said.
