Experts in the power sector are advocating for the Federal Government to enforce the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQ) for certified electricians.
This call was made during a Stakeholders Retreat for Practitioners in the Electric Power Sector held on Thursday in Abuja.
The retreat, themed “Role of Human Capital Development in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry,” was organized by the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) in collaboration with Hak-Ben and Associates Nigeria Ltd.
Training and retraining Certified Electrical personnel
According to a communiqué signed by Mr. Ahmed Nagode, the Director-General of NAPTIN, there is an urgent need for NAPTIN to establish collaborative initiatives for training and retraining certified electrical personnel in the power sector.
The communiqué emphasized that the success of the power sector hinges on enhancing skills to raise the standards of training and development in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Furthermore, it stressed the importance of all organizations within the Nigerian electricity supply industry to prioritize the training provided by NAPTIN.
The communiqué also emphasized the necessity of making a comprehensive curriculum from the handbooks on Nigerian electrical learning readily available to facilitate better knowledge sharing, acquisition, and continuous up-skilling efforts.
What the communique recommends
The communiqué said that NAPTIN had been further strengthened by the passage of the Electricity Act 2023 (as amended) and as approved by the National Council on Establishments (NCE) to support the growth and development of the electricity sector.
- “The challenges posed by emerging technologies require constant review of the existing policies, laws, standards, and regulations.
- “ NAPTIN should further enhance its strategic collaboration with stakeholders in the power sector”, it said.
It also stated that there was need for NAPTIN to collaborate with institutions in the sector, especially with the Nigeria Electricity Management (NEMSA), for the training and retraining of power sector personnel, as well as training curricula to accommodate new developments for capacity development in NESI.