The Nation Newspaper

Category: Energy

  • Shell companies bag awards

    Shell companies bag awards

    Shell companies in Nigeria (SCiN) are the 2017 Best in sustainability and innovation in Africa, beating two other finalists at the 11th edition of the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility Awards (SERAs) for Corporate Social Responsibility in Lagos last Friday.

    Shell companies also defeated three other contestants to win the Best Company in Affordable and Clean Energy, and got the second runner-up prize for the Most Socially Responsible Nigerian Company for the year.

    “We’re delighted at the continued recognition of our modest support to Nigeria and Nigerians to make life better and create opportunities to individuals and institutions, particularly in our host communities,” said the Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and country Chair, SCiN, Mr. Osagie Okunbor.

    “We are challenged by these laurels to do even more as CSR remains part of the DNA of the Shell business, and we are striving to improve our partnership with NGOs, government and communities to ensure that our people participate more in the execution of programmes and own them for greater sustainability,” he added.

    Leveraging its support for entrepreneurs for bright energy ideas through the globally acclaimed Shell LiveWIRE programme, SPDC showcased its numerous social intervention programmes, including the training and empowerment of hundreds of youths, particularly in its host communities to clinch the prize as the best company in affordable and clean energy.

    The sustainability innovation award resulted from the renewable energy solution as an alternative for powering the Shell-supported Obio Cottage Hospital, Port Harcourt, which led to significant cost savings in energy consumed and enabled the hospital to focus its resources on its core aspiration of providing quality healthcare for the people. Due to its success, the solution has been replicated in seven other Shell-supported health facilities in the Niger Delta.

    The SERA–CSR Awards is an annual event to celebrate organisations investing resources in the improvement of lives of stakeholders and contributing to the development of Africa through their social performance and investment programmes.

    A total of 26 awards were won by corporate organisations and individuals in recognition of their sustainable development and social investment efforts in Africa.

    Apart from their three winning entries, Shell companies also got nominated in four other categories: Best Company in Poverty Eradication; Best Company in Provision of Clean Water and Sanitation; Best Company in Partnership for Development; and Best Company in Support of SMEs.

    Shell Companies in Nigeria – SPDC, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), and Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) work with the government, communities and civil society to implement programmes that have  lasting impact on lives in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as whole.

    Social investment activities focus on community and enterprise development, education, health, access-to-energy and since 2016, road safety. This, however, exclude community-driven development programmes and initiatives delivered through the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), which focuses on various themes as determined by benefiting communities.

  • Indigenous producers pledge compliance to Content Act

    •To sign SLA with NCDMB

    Members of the Indigenous Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) have pledged to support and comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.

    To cement their commitment, the local operating companies will sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and this will guide the submission and management of statutory reports between the parties.

    The new SLA, akin to the type signed between the Board and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) in May 2017, will commit members of the IPPG to complying with the Nigerian Content Act while the Board will keep to a definite response time for reviews and approvals of contracting documentations. The SLA will take into consideration the capacity of the indigenous producing companies and provide necessary concessions as may be necessary.

    These resolutions were reached at a meeting between the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote and members of the IPPG in Lagos last Wednesday.

    The independent producers also promised to partner the Board to equip the Petroleum Technology Development Fund’s Vocational Training facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the purposes of imparting key skills that are currently lacking in the industry.

    Wabote explained at the meeting that indigenous producers were products of the Nigerian Content Policy hence, they needed to work with the Board to take the implementation to the next level.

    He stressed that Nigerian Content Act was not applicable to only foreign companies, but to all players in the oil and gas industry. “Some Nigerian companies assume erroneously that being wholly indigenous makes them complaint. But local content extends to employment, procurement, training, among other things,”he said.

    The Executive Secretary further challenged the indigenous producers to partner the Board to develop Research and Development Centres of excellence in-country so that problems encountered in their operations can be resolved locally. “The international operating companies have huge research and development (R&D) facilities in their home countries. We can only set up R&D centres in Nigeria with the support of indigenous producers.”

    He also tasked the companies on the remittance of Nigerian Content Development Fund’s (NCDF) deductions. He reiterated that the Board will soon commission third-party forensic audit to track and recover due payments on the NCDF.

    Chairman of IPPG, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, pledged the readiness of the members to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Content Act. “We want to participate in the Nigerian Content journey and we are ready to engage with the Board to take our projects to the next level,” he said.

    He further explained that IPPG was constituted by 25 indigenous operators, including joint venture partners of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), marginal field operators and indigenous sole risk operators. According to him, “we ensure corporate governance among ourselves, help to put a respectable face to indigenous producers and offer government a credible platform to engage. We account for between 12/25 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil production”.

  • Developing countries to lead oil demand growth till 2040, says OPEC

    Developing countries to lead oil demand growth till 2040, says OPEC

    The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has said developing countries will lead oil demand growth in the next two decades.

    In its 2017 World Oil Outlook launched in Vienna, the cartel said oil demand is expected to grow in the developing countries, especially Asian and the Middle East countries by almost 24 million barrels per day (bpd), to reach 67 million bpd by 2040.

    The report said:“Total primary energy demand is set to increase by 35 per cent in the period to 2040 and oil is expected to remain the fuel with the largest share in the energy mix throughout the forecast period to 2040.

    “Long-term oil demand has been revised upward by 1.7 million barrels per day compared to the World Oil Outlook  of 2016, with total demand at over 111 million barrels per day by 2040. There is no expectation for peak oil demand over the forecast period to 2040.

    “Developing countries will continue to lead demand growth, increasing by almost 24 million bpd to reach 67 million bpd by 2040. The long-term demand growth comes mainly from the transportation sector – road transportation (5.4 million bpd), petrochemicals (3.9 million bpd) and aviation (2.9 million bpd)”.

    According to the report, oil demand in the road transportation sector is driven by the increasing car fleet in developing countries and declining oil use per vehicle in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The car fleet is anticipated to change smoothly over the forecast period. In the passenger car segment, electric vehicles are estimated to represent 12 per cent of the car fleet by 2040.

    It said: “Non-OPEC liquids supply is forecast to increase from 57 million bpd in 2016 to 62 million bpd in 2022, but in the long-term non-OPEC liquids output is anticipated to see a decline, dropping to 60.4 million bpd by 2040, with United States (US) tight oil estimated to peak just after 2025;

    “The demand for OPEC crude is anticipated to expand to  41.4 million bpd by 2040. The share of OPEC liquids in total global liquids supply is estimated to increase to 46 per cent by 2040, from 40 per cent in 2016.

    “Around half of the estimated refining capacity additions are expected in the Asia-Pacific, which is projected to add 9.5 million bpd by 2040. Capacity rationalisation remains a long-term requirement, with some 6-8 million bpd of closures indicated as needed by 2040 if refining regions are to maintain utilisation rates of at least 80 per cent.

    “Global crude movements are expected to increase by around 6.5 million bpd between 2016 and 2040, mostly supported by Asia-Pacific imports and Middle East exports. In the period to 2040, the required global oil sector investment is estimated at $10.5 trillion”.

    Speaking during the launch, Director, Research Division of OPEC, Dr. Ayed S. Al-Qahtani, said: “The multi-faceted nature of the oil industry and the continued interdependence of all nations; the impact of the ongoing market rebalancing process, specifically on the medium-term outlook; that oil will remain a fuel of choice for the foreseeable future; that security of supply and security of demand are very much two sides of the same coin; and the importance of exploring and evaluating the possible challenges, uncertainties, as well as opportunities, the industry might face.”

  • Why Nigerians pay high tarrifs

    Why Nigerians pay high tarrifs

    Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola has said the rise in electricity tariffs is due to the failure of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to review the tariffs periodically.

    He said consumers would continue to pay high tariffs on power as long as relevant authorities refused to review them, adding that the issue has compounded the woes of consumers, who battle problems such as shortage of meters and poor supply of electricity, among others.

    At an interactive forum organised for members of civil societies in Surulere, Lagos,  Fashola said consumers were not paying tariffs that reflected the cost of the electricity they are consuming.

    The forum was at the instance of the Ministry.

    According to him, the NERC is expected to review tariffs paid by consumers, adding that the agency is not doing that.

    Fashola said:‘’I have the understanding that the tariffs being implemented in the power sector are for a period of 10 years. The tariffs are expected to be reviewed during that period. If the tariffs have been reviewed, the prices, by now, must have come down. Rather than the prices of tariffs decreasing, they are increasing, due to the failure on the part of the regulators to review them as part of their oversight functions.”

    He added: “I have no control over the amount that was charged as tarrifs in the sector. NERC is in charge of tarrifs. My duty as a Nigerian is to express my opinions on critical issues that are affecting the generality of the populace, and which I have done when NERC announced the increased in tariffs in 2016. I have expressed my opinions, and nobody can deny me the right not to do so.’’

    He said inflation, interest and exchange rates were changing globally and the increase in those rates are not factored into the tariffs.

    Fashola said power distribution companies (DisCos) advocated for increase in tariffs, and not the Federal Government.

    ‘’So, it is wrong for anybody to assume or belief that any minor or major increase in electricity tariffs is coming from the government. That the Federal Government is the one that proposes cost reflective tarrifs in the power sector is wrong. I disagree with that notion. It is the duty of NERC to approve electricity tariffs, once it certified that the tarrifs are okay enough for the consumers,’’he said.

  • Reason for power sector poor regulation

    Politics, not lack of manpower has stalled every effort to regulate the power sector and further reposition it for growth since its privatisation in 2013. The Association of Electricity Distributors of Nigeria(ANED), Executive Director, Research and  Advocacy, Mr Sunday Oduntan has said.

    He said the inability of the Federal Government to demonstrate political will by appointing a substantive Chief Executive Officer for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC), has frustrated efforts to regulate the market well, ditto the delay, by the government to  constitute the Board of the agency.

    In a visit to The Nation last weekend, in company of ANED’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Azu Onya,  said the sector would have by now have a strong regulation, but for the failure of the government to constitute the Board of the agency.

    Oduntan said:’’ For eighteen (18) months, no  commissioner was appointed by the Federal Government to regulate the NERC. The agency is still without a substantive Board. All these are afffecting the regulationof the power sector. The issue bordered on politics in the sector, and nothing else.Does that mean that the country does not have competent and skilled workforce to steer the ship of the sector? Does that mean that the government can only get qualified personnel, when it shops outside the shore of Nigeria. At a time, an acting Chief Executive officer was appointed to run the affairs of NERC. In view, such officer does not have the power to regulate the sector well’’

  • Axxela eyes $147m capex for gas infrastructure, others

    Axxela Limited, formerly Oando Gas and Power, has made a capital expenditure projection of about $147 million to develop its gas supply infrastructure in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as well as the development of the Ajaokuta mini liquefied natural gas in Ajaokuta, Kogi State.

    Axxela Chief Executive Officer, Bolaji Osunsanya, in an interview with The Nation, said the amount is a bulk budget for the projects,  but these will be carried out in phases and may run for the next two or three years. He also stated that the company is eyeing expansion into  regional opportunities and has secured shipping licence from the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA), adding that arrangements have been concluded for the first gas supply to a West African country.

    Giving a breakdown of the capital expenditure, Osunsanya said the money will be spent more on maximising existing assets of the firm, adding that some of them are organic developments. He said the company wants to build the 5th and 6th phases of its Lagos franchise, Gaslink.

    ‘’The 5th & 6th Phases will cost the company about $50 million and will be used, in developing sub-segments that will connect Igando to Ikeja, while the mini LNG will cost the firm about $60 million. The Port Harcourt expansion has already cost us about $7 million and the planned expansion to Omagua and Chioba industrial clusters will cost us about $30 million, he added. These are bumper numbers that we will use to develop them but it will be in phases, he said.

    He further said: “Gaslink is our Lagos franchise and today we carry 160 customers on it selling about 65 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) and we plan to sell 100mmsfcd from it in the next two to three years. Therefore, we have to do more expansion and give gas to more factories.

    “We are looking at doing Phase 5 which will be from Iba Road on Festac near Lagos State University  LASU back to Ikeja; Motorways all the way to  Gbagada, which will take us to almost all parts of Lagos, so there should be no industrial part of Lagos that will not have gas supply infrastructure. So, with phases 5&6 in Lagos, we will fully maximize Gaslink.

    On the company’s plan for PortHarcourt  axis, he had this to say: ‘’We also want to grow Port Harcourt gas grid.We have extended it to Court area, the next thing is to do Omogua industrial cluster, Airport and Chioba industrial cluster and also maximise the total capacity of our compressed natural gas (CNG) plant and use the mini LNG to supplement it.”

    On change of name to Axxela, Osunsanya said: “Last year we made an announcement about new investors in Oando Gas and Power. The new investors are Helios Capital Partners, which is the bigger investor. We thought it was necessary to change the name to reflect this new shareholding. They are big African-based infrastructure fund. They have about $3 billion in assets and investments.

    “They are in Airland, ARM pensions, Vivo, and Co-partners in OVH Energy, among others. They have the necessary experience doing infrastructure business in sub-Saharan Africa. The premise of their coming into Oando Gas and Power is that they liked our history as a gas and power infrastructure business and they thought coming and putting in the necessary capital would help us achieve growth. So it is a growth model.

    “But our own way of looking at this change is to leverage the two strengths. Oando on one hand has good market access, a formidable and local content platform and more importantly, Oando gives us access to resources. Oando is a member of the Joint Venture, you can  get gas from them and they also allow us access to all their other footprints. Helios on the other hand brings a lot of capital and wealth of management experience running growth companies in Africa. We are already in the last eight or nine months seeing the benefits of this marriage.”

  • NLPGA, investors discuss $10b policy lifeline

    NLPGA, investors discuss $10b policy lifeline

    The Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), investors and stakeholders in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry have discussed on how to tap into the over $10billion investment opportunities that would be unlocked by the national LPG policy unveiled by the Federal Government.

    The discussion took place at the NLPGA’s annual Chief Executive Officer’s Breakfast Meeting held in Lagos. The meeting brought together LPG producers, marketers, International Finance Corporation, UBA, Sterling Bank and other stakeholders who shared ideas on the investment opportunities that are expected to be created by the national LPG policy and how industry operators tap into them.

    NLPGA’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Joseph Eromosele, e explained that the overall goal of the LPG policy was to promote the wider use of LPG in domestic activities, power generation, autogas and industries while increasing national consumption to five million metric tonnes in five years.

    According to him, over $10billion can be generated if 50 per cent of the current kerosene and firewood users in the country switch to cooking gas by 2019. This, he added, offered huge investment opportunities for LPG players.

    He said: “Only five per cent of the Nigerian population utilises LPG for cooking while 56 per cent depends on firewood and 27 per cent on kerosene. Over 30 million households and more than 100 million Nigerians depend on firewood as a source of energy for cooking but this has come with collateral damage to human health, environment through deforestation, and the economy. With the LPG policy, we will be able to drive broader penetration of LPG into homes, especially the low-income households in rural areas.

    “Over $10 billion will be generated for the economy from the switch of 50 per cent kerosene and firewood users by 2019.  Estimated 500,000 – 1,000,000 jobs will be created in the LPG value chain within the next two years with the planned Kerosene to LPG switching programme.”

    The Deputy President, NLPGA, Mr. Nuhu Yakubu, said the policy also aims to use LPG to displace low pour fuel oil (LPFO) and diesel as popular fuel among industrial users while deepening applications in agriculture and commercial establishments.

    “Yakubu said: “The policy will also promote the use of LPG for off and on grid power generation. It will provide the environment for the use of LPG in the automotive industry with a target conversion of 10 per cent of the country’s vehicle population. These are investment opportunities for industry stakeholders.”

    The Programme Manager, National LPG Expansion Implementation Plan in the Office of the Vice-President, Mr. Dayo Adeshina, lamented that 18 states in northern Nigeria are currently suffering from desertification and deforestation because several millions of the citizens rely on firewood for cooking.

    Adeshina warned that if the situation continues unchecked, states in the southern part of the country could soon start experiencing deforestation, a development he said shouldn’t be allowed.

    He noted that only increased utilisation of LPG could halt deforestation, which is fast encroaching into new areas of the country. Adeshina added that to deepen LPG usage, more investments were needed in local gas cylinder manufacturing and urged NLPGA members to begin to look at the direction especially with a national LPG policy now in place.

    He decried the shutdown of two cylinder manufacturing plants in Nigeria, adding that some investors had signified interest in manufacturing cylinders in the country.

    Participants at the meeting noted that though the nation’s total domestic LPG consumption had grown from just below 70,000 tonnes in 2007 to 500,000 tonnes in 2016, the improvement in the domestic consumption of LPG only translated to a per capita consumption of only less than 2.5kg. This was compared to the low per capita consumption in selected African countries like South Africa at 7.28kg, Ghana at 9.45kg, and Morocco at 66.27kg, they added.

    According to the participants, some factors responsible for the low consumption level in Nigeria inadequate supply of LPG equipment, high cost associated with the acquisition of cylinders and LPG stoves, insufficient number of jetties and LPG inland storage facilities, excessive import duties and VAT on LPG equipment, and inadequate road and transport network facilities. They also noted lack of access to long-term funds for LPG project in the country and blamed the banks for that.

    Representatives of some of the banks at the meeting enlightened the LPG operators on what they needed to do to attract funding from the banks.

    The meeting ended with the confidence that the LPG policy would spur a revolution in the LPG industry and urged the government to ensure that the policy is fully implemented to the benefit of all Nigerians.

  • EATECH urges local firms’ protection

    An indigenous firm, Engineering Automation Technology Limited (EATECH), has decried  continuous breach of the Local Content Law by some International Oil Companies (OICs) in Nigeria, urging the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to step up their regulatory and monitoring functions to protect local firms.

    EATECH’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr. Emmanuel Okon, spoke to reporters at an event organised to mark the company’s 10th anniversary and inauguration of the company’s multi-million naira operational base and fabrication yard in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

    Okon lamented the harsh operating environment in which some local vendor firms were operating in Nigeria, saying in a bid to tap effectively into the Nigerian Content Law, some local firms had taken bank loans and made substantial investments in requisite infrastructure and human capital, only to suffer from low patronage from International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the award of contracts.

    He pointed out that despite the growth in the technology and manpower capabilities of Nigerian firms, contracts were continually skewed in favour of foreign firms by some of the OICs.

    Okon said local contractors were faced with a unique challenge where IOCs expectation of quality project delivery from an indigenous contractor is usually benchmarked against expatriates whereas the consideration for same goods and services are based on the perception that Nigerians deliver low value jobs. He explained that under such situation, the premium for service excellence would always be skewed to expatriates.

    He said: “NAPIMS in conjunction with the NCDMB should encourage paradigm shift in the skewness of contract consideration towards expatriates and similar contract values should be applied to both local and expatriates where execution standards are similar.

    “We have built the capacities to do several of the projects that continue to go to expatriate companies and this is not good for our business. We have been tested and we have proved that we can deliver the best quality of jobs. So, it is not about the delivery of job. It is about our regulators keeping an eagle eye and ensuring that at all stages no one breaches the Nigerian Content Law. It is important that we get patronage because that is the only way we can grow, eradicate unemployment among our youths and contribute to prosperity of the economy.”

    Okon also listed access to funding as another challenge faced by local firms and he also demanded close collaboration between the NCDMB and banks to resolve this challenge. “Like most local contractors, access to working capital remains cumbersome for lack of appropriate collateral and we also experience delayed payment when negotiating contract financing with banks,” Okon added.

    “There should be a deliberate collaboration between the NCDMB and financial institutions in developing a framework for local contractors to access funding,” he said.

  • McGrath: ExxonMobil adds 600,000bpd to Nigeria’s output

    McGrath: ExxonMobil adds 600,000bpd to Nigeria’s output

    •Local contractors access over $113m from Scheme

    The Chairman/Managing Director, ExxonMobil Nigeria Unlimited, Mr. Paul McGrath, has reiterated commitment to local content development, saying the firm contributes 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to Nigeria’s daily output that currently hovers around 2.2 million bpd.

    McGrath gave the assurance during a spotlight session at the 7th Practical Nigerian Content Conference organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, adding that the firm was passionate about local content development.

    He said: “I am very passionate about local content development in Nigeria and standing here before you today is an example of local content. Local content development is so important to me and also ExxonMobil and we are concerned about deepening Nigerian content in our industry.

    “ExxonMobil gives first consideration to local companies in Nigeria. We have been at the forefront of local content development in Nigeria. Nigeria local content is a moral obligation and is good for business because in Nigeria we have highly and semiskilled workforce, which we give total support to all categories.

    “When we talk about practical Nigeria content and implementation of local content, ExxonMobil has been at the vanguard.”

    McGrath said the company was one of the country’s highest producers of crude oil, accounting for almost 600,000 barrels per day of crude, condensate and natural gas liquids from its Qua Iboe terminal in Akwa Ibom State.

    He said ExxonMobil had been in Nigeria for over 40 years with track records and operates a world class facility in the country and also looks forward to boost its crude oil production.

    The ExxonMobil Nigeria boss said the company was committed to growing its production in Nigeria safely and with much integrity, adding that the company had made tremendous impact on the nation’s economy in the past 54 years of operation and would continue to invest for many more years to come.

    He said the company had invested massively in human development, which was very significant in bringing about competition for national growth. According to him, the company has invested massively on host community and other communities outside its operations.

    He added that ExxonMobil had also invested on community development in area of education and infrastructure development, while ensuring sustainability on the long time benefit. “ExxonMobil has helped to facilitate access to funding to numbers of local companies in Nigeria and there are number of Nigeria banks that work with us.

    “Over 113 million dollars has been accessed so far out of 975 million dollars available under the ExxonMobil Nigeria Contractor Finance Scheme (EMNCFS), in partnership with some  Nigerian banks. Also, that offers competitive financing options to local company’s business partners in Nigeria.

    “The EMNCFS is targeted at Nigerian vendors seeking access to better funding options to fulfill ExxonMobil awarded contracts and procurement orders. Loan processing times will also be significantly reduced due to upfront definition of eligibility criteria by the banks because if the funding was not available to Nigerian contractor they will not be in business,’’ McGrath added.

    He said over 700 graduates had benefited from the company’s skilled training, which majority of them has been employed by various oil and gas companies in Nigeria, adding that the company had a world class technical training centre in Akwa-Ibom which was established in 1995, which conforms to international best practice standard.

    He stated that the company has also developed potentials in world class engineering, adding that it has partnered with local engineering companies in Nigeria like Delta Afrik to develop and nurture quality engineering work.

    He said the ExxonMobil is also geared towards ensuring the developing sustainable plans with local companies in Nigeria, adding that quality engineering in Nigeria had increased by 90 per cent in the last four years.

  • ‘Increasing quality of electrical products our priority’

    The Executive Chairman, General Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (GEDA), Alaba branch, Felix Nwagu, has said increasing the quality of electrical products remains paramount to the association to checkmate counterfeiting of electrical products.

    Nwagu stated that focusing on quality has become imperative considering the dangers substandard electrical products pose to lives and properties. He spoke during the launch of a historical book on the association. He noted that measures such as workshops and seminars organised in partnership with government agencies were put in place to curb the damage and influx of substandard electrical products into the market.

    He noted that some of the agencies the association collaborates with include the Consumers Protection Council, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Customs Service, among others.

    Nwagu stated that such meetings have helped broaden the horizons of members in doing business in line with policies of the government’s agencies. He also spoke on the achievements of the association at the public presentation of the ‘history book’ and award.

    “Aside the seminars and workshops, we have put in place a disciplinary committee to combat substandard electrical products, “ adding that following the envisaged improvement in the power sector, some members with international business experience are building modern and state-of –the-art facilities where electrical products could be assembled and manufactured in the country.

    Speaking on the book, he said, this was an effort to codify the efforts.