Tag: Schneider Electric

By Motunrayo Akintunde

Schneider Electric has reaffirmed its position as an employer of choice, showcasing its commitment to promoting gender equality and accelerating employee growth from entry-level to leadership.

The energy company which spoke to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) with Accelerate Action as theme, emphasizes the urgency of addressing systemic gender biases and taking swift action toward achieving gender equality.

Schneider Electric has taken significant strides in this direction, demonstrating its dedication through measurable initiatives.

The company is committed to increasing gender diversity in hiring 50per cent women and increasing leadership positions by 30 per cent. Similarly, Schneider Electric has fully implemented its Pay Equity Framework across all countries since 2019, covering 99per cent of its total workforce, to bridge the gender pay gap.

Beyond gender equality, Schneider Electric is recognized for nurturing an environment where employees can grow, thrive, and advance their careers. In recognition of their commitment to employee development and workplace excellence, Schneider Electric bagged Employer of the Year award in the Energy and Utilities Sector by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) on November 22, 2024.

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Spotlighting three female employees who are growing and thriving, The Youth Education and Entrepreneurship Program Country Manager for West Africa, Funmilayo Olakitan, shared her career journey at Schneider Electric.

She said: “I joined Schneider Electric in 2022 as a graduate marketing intern. Within six months, I was promoted to Marketing Communications Specialist and later transitioned to my current role in corporate citizenship as the Youth Education and Entrepreneurship Program and Foundation Delegate for Anglophone West Africa. Schneider Electric has been instrumental to my growth, providing leadership support, training, and courses to enhance my skills and leadership abilities. The culture, people, and environment have enabled me to continuously develop and progress in my career. As a woman, I have received immense support from my colleagues and leaders, making my transition seamless.”

Another employee, Talent Leader for Anglophone West Africa, Yewande Ayowole-Oso,  reflected on her nine-year journey at Schneider Electric, during which she has held various roles, including HR Generalist, HR Service Manager, HR Cluster Manager, HR Director, and now Talent Leader for Anglophone Africa. She emphasized how Schneider Electric’s processes and dedication to employee development have significantly contributed to her growth.

“Schneider Electric has been more than just a workplace for me; it has provided a platform to develop and apply my expertise across different HR functions, equipping me with the skills to lead at various levels. The company fosters a culture of continuous learning, mentorship, and leadership development, which has accelerated my career. Our talent development programs, internal mobility initiatives, and leadership training have been instrumental in shaping my journey. Schneider Electric’s commitment to people development empowers employees to embrace new challenges and advance into leadership roles while creating IMPACT,” she shared.

Territory Technology Lead, Belema Koleoso, who joined Schneider Electric in 2015 with a passion to contribute as an engineer described her career journey as fulfilling.

 “I began my career driven by a passion to contribute as an engineer towards building a better world, with automation and control as my tools. Reflecting on the past 10 years, I can confidently say that Schneider Electric has provided me with a platform to achieve much more than I initially envisioned. As the Territory Technical Lead for Process Automation, I have not only contributed to technical excellence across Africa but also developed and honed various skills that have made me an integral part of our productivity efforts. Through this journey, I’ve learned that having a dream is just the beginning; the true essence lies in living that dream every day,” she said.

As Schneider Electric continues to champion workplace inclusivity and career acceleration, it sets a precedent for organizations committed to gender equality and professional growth. By fostering a culture of empowerment and equipping employees with the right tools and opportunities, Schneider Electric is paving the way for the next generation of leaders.

Despite the fact that everything is gravitating towards technology, many home owners still believe the deployment of smart home technologies is very expensive and are therefore unwilling to embrace it, according to a new report.

The report, which is the third edition of Schneider Electric’s consumer survey titled: Evolving Home Energy Consumption: Intentions, Actions and Hurdles to Greater Home Energy Efficiency, released yesterday, noted that for the first time, the survey explored attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI).

Despite predictions that AI and automation could help mitigate up to 10per cent of global GHG emissions, 44per cent of respondents said they would never rely on AI for household tasks, 35per cent don’t fully understand it, and 41per cent want to actively avoid it.

In addition, 52per cent believe smart home technology is too expensive, even though connected homes can achieve energy savings of up to 22per cent.

The survey also showed an awareness gap for more traditional home technology: 30per cent of respondents don’t know what their electrical panel does, and 16per cent don’t know its location.

The electrical panel is at the heart of the home’s power system and acts as the gatekeeper for ensuring the safety of electrical devices and appliances, therefore this lack of knowledge poses potential serious safety risks if the condition of the panel is ignored as homes become more electrified.

Commenting on the report, Executive Vice President of Home & Distribution at Schneider Electric, Michael Lotfy Gierges, said: “Consumers want to reduce their energy bill, increase their energy reliability and increase energy efficiency in their homes. Yet, there exists a gap between intention and action. The technology to enhance home energy efficiency exists today but there is a lack of awareness of the most impactful ways to deploy it. Through greater electrification and digitalisation, home energy use can be better measured, controlled and transitioned to more renewable sources,”

The report surveyed 13,000 people from 11 countries across the world uncovering global attitudes toward household energy efficiency, sustainability and smart home technology.

Home energy consumption is the main driver of home emissions and has increased steadily over recent years with the spread of energy-consuming devices and appliances. This trend, coupled with skyrocketing energy costs and dramatic real-life impacts of climate change, has driven awareness of home energy consumption.

Read Also: Schneider Electric calls for tech adoption

Given this, the report focused on behaviors, barriers and readiness to adopt energy-saving solutions. Notably, this year’s results highlight a wide gap between awareness and action. 82per cent of respondents consider energy efficiency “somewhat important” or “very important,” while 84per cent said energy efficiency is the top desired home improvement, and 70per cent responded that reducing their carbon footprint is ‘important’ to them.

However, only a few are taking the most impactful actions to reduce their energy consumption; just 44per cent regularly adjust their ambient temperatures, despite this being one of the highest-impact actions. At the same time, 58per cent of homeowners turn off lights as their primary strategy for saving energy, while lighting only comprising around five per cent of electricity bills. The second-most popular method, unplugging unused chargers (48per cent), also has minimal impact — saving only $0.26 per charger annually.

The report revealed another overemphasis on lighting when it comes to the types of home energy technology consumers have in their homes, with 52per cent of consumers believing that smart lighting enhances energy efficiency. While 24per cent own smart lighting, only 21per cent have a smart thermostat, with less than half (46per cent) acknowledging its energy-saving benefits, despite evidence showing it could reduce bills by up to 30 per cent annually.

Schneider Electric has emerged the World’s Most Sustainable Corporation 2025 by Corporate Knights and is the only company to rank first in the Global 100 twice.

Reputed to be leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, the company previously topped this annual list of the most sustainable publicly listed companies, generating annual revenues of over $1billion in 2021. This achievement underlines Schneider’s long-standing commitment and holistic approach to delivering the best environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance possible.

Commenting on the milestone, Schneider Electric’s Chief Executive Officer, Olivier Blum, said: “For many years now, sustainability has been at the heart of what Schneider Electric does. For an IMPACT company it’s more than just a corporate goal, it’s the driving force that shapes our business decisions and inspires our employees. This second title as the World’s Most Sustainable Corporation from Corporate Knights, alongside other key ESG recognitions, is testimony to the valuable, long-term positive impact we have.”

Corporate Knights’ CEO, Toby Heaps, said: “Schneider Electric’s position at the top of the Global 100 index is remarkable. No other company has accomplished this twice. This success stems from Schneider’s broad impact that goes beyond its own sustainability efforts. Schneider provides the technology to enhance energy efficiency, support decarbonisation and help other companies in their sustainable transitions.”

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This year, Schneider Electric’s number one position reflects the company’s leadership in sustainable development practices, such as the gender diversity of its executives and board directors, and its innovative solutions to facilitate energy efficiency, electrification and decarbonisation. Schneider also obtained strong scores for efforts to decouple its energy consumption and carbon emissions from its business growth, and its strong investment in sustainable research and development. Corporate Knights also called out the link between executive pay incentives and Schneider Electric’s sustainability performance and ESG ratings.

Compiled by the Canadian media and research company, Corporate Knights, the annual Global 100 index is based on publicly disclosed, quantitative data related to resources, employees, suppliers, sustainable revenues, and investment. The Global 100 methodology uses fixed and variable key performance indicators to rank companies among their peers. Schneider Electric has been part of the Global 100 every year for the past 14 years and in the top 10 seven times — a record for its electrical equipment manufacturing peer group.

Being awarded this title in both 2021 and 2025 coincides with the beginning and end of the five-year period of the latest Schneider Sustainability Impact program. This program measures the company’s progress across a range of transformative ESG targets set for the end of 2025 and helps maintain an unwavering focus on achieving both its global and local ambitions.

Schneider’s sustainability leadership is further affirmed with these latest scores from prominent ESG rating providers:

Schneider Electric’s Wuxi factory in China has been recognized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Sustainability Lighthouse.

Designated an Advanced Lighthouse in 2021, this latest recognition for Wuxi specifically acknowledges the factory’s advanced solutions to reduce its environmental impact.

Schneider Electric, acknowldged leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, now has the highest number of Sustainability Lighthouses of any company with four of the 25 globally including Hyderabad, India, Lexington, Kentucky, and Le Vaudreuil, France.

The Forum, together with McKinsey & Company, co-founded the Global Lighthouse Network in 2018.

It has grown to become a community of 189 production facilities and value chains leveraging cutting- edge Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for exceptional performance in productivity, supply chain resilience, customer centricity, sustainability, and talent development. These global leaders reaffirm the Network’s role in setting a standard and creating a shared learning journey.

Schneider Electric’s Wuxi campus is an electronics manufacturing centre that produces key products for the company’s two business units, Energy Management and Industrial Automation. In 2022, the site achieved net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, eight years ahead of its goal.

Through AI-powered eco-design, a closed-loop CO 2 tracking platform with suppliers, machine learning models to improve energy efficiency, and new circular business models developed in partnership with customers, the site has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90per cent, Scope 3 emissions by 65 per cent, and water use by 15per cent, all in two years.

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“The Wuxi campus and our other Sustainability Lighthouse facilities across the globe underscore our commitment to our sustainability goals how essential our supply chain operations are to realising them. Investing in the right technologies at scale and pace, investing in our people’s development, and engaging with our partners, suppliers, and customers is critical to making progress, not just in sustainability but also in operational efficiency, flexibility, agility, and our customers’ experience in working with us,” Schneider Electric’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, Mourad Tamoud, said.

Also speaking, Head of the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains at WEF, Kiva Allgood, said: “Across our global lighthouse network, digital technologies are revolutionising production ecosystems. From AI-driven control towers to zero-code workflows, Lighthouses exemplify sustainable innovation setting benchmarks millions can follow to drive transformational change across the entire ecosystem.”

Schneider Electric now has four Sustainability Lighthouses, the most held by any company, they are factories recognised for their industry-leading reductions in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, and their advancements in promoting a circular economy.

Schneider Electric said it will play an active role at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 (WEF) advocating for more collaboration to increase uptake of energy technologies and automation solutions.

Slated for Davos, the annual meeting gathers global leaders from all sectors to address the world’s most urgent challenges. This year, it emphasises stronger collaboration to address geopolitical dynamics, while stimulating growth and stewarding a just energy transition.  Schneider Electric is firmly aligned with the WEF’s call to action. The company has long worked across multiple industries and sectors, helping clients and partners reduce environmental impacts along their value chain, while improving efficiency and resilience.

Recently, Schneider Electric released two key reports, The Looming Power Crunch: Solutions for Data Center Expansion in an Energy-Constrained World from its Energy Management Research Centre, and Artificial Intelligence for Energy Transition from its Sustainability Research Institute.

These reports outline strategies for addressing the challenges of an energy-constrained world and ensuring expansion is both sustainable and economically viable. They also define a strategy for integrating AI seamlessly into our infrastructure to achieve substantial decarbonisation in the energy sector.

CEO of Schneider Electric, Olivier Blum, during the IEA global conference in December 2024, advocated that it is possible to leverage innovations in AI to deliver greater efficiency, resilience, and security simultaneously while ensuring smart and sustainable management.

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Schneider Electric is now calling for harnessing the momentum around AI to accelerate the adoption of existing technologies such as end-to-end AI data centre solutions or AI powered HVAC in buildings. The company states that this will facilitate a successful energy transition and drive the development of smart industries.

According to a WEF report, reducing energy usage with existing technologies alone could lower energy intensity by 31per cent and generate annual savings exceeding $2 trillion by 2030. To deploy technology at scale, Schneider Electric emphasises stronger partnerships and enhancing efficiency at the industry level.

Blum said: “Sustainability and economic growth can go hand-in-hand. By forging strategic partnerships, companies can leverage innovation and technology at hand to increase their performance while delivering meaningful impacts and a better future for all.”

The company believes that more collaboration and innovative technologies essential for combining business and environmental goals.

Company executives, including CEOs are expected to participate in cross-sector meetings and panel discussions during the Davos meeting.

Schneider Electric has restated its commitment to employee health and safety in furtherance of the Federal Government’s objectives to address challenges in occupational safety and health (OSH).

The leader in energy management and industrial automation gave the commitment when it hosted its annual Safety Day, a reflection of its dedication to promoting workplace safety.

The company said it recognized Nigeria’s pressing concerns in OSH, including inadequate safety standards, limited awareness, and underreporting of industrial accidents, Schneider Electric took a proactive step by sensitizing employees to safety best practices, risk management, and improved safety measures within the organization.

In his keynote, Zone President Middle East and Africa, Walid Sheta, emphasized Schneider Electric’s philosophy on creating a safer work environment. “At Schneider Electric, safety is not just a compliance requirement; it’s a genuine commitment to protecting what matters most; our people, our purpose, and our future. Our mission is to ensure that every employee feels safe, empowered, and capable of identifying and mitigating risks within their workspaces,” he said.

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The event featured impactful sessions. One of the sessions led by the CEO of Hybrid Group, Dapo Omolade, with “Safety Mindset: Achieving Business Goals,” as theme, focused on the critical link between workplace safety, productivity, and operational excellence. Additionally, discussions on mental health awareness highlighted the importance of wholesome employee well-being.

Highlighting incident prevention and lessons learned, HSE Manager at Schneider Electric, Stanley Okoro, said: “Our approach integrates comprehensive safety policies with advanced tools to create a safety-first culture. For instance, we create regular safety training programs to equip employees with the knowledge and skills to navigate hazardous environments safely. Employees can mitigate risks by staying updated with the latest safety techniques and tools.”

The event brought together notable industry experts and leaders, including Services Manager -Sub Saharan Africa, Obichi Chime; Engineering lead, Osuni Elliot; Service Director, Schneider Electric, Anglophone West Africa, Nurudeen Shokoya; CEO, Hybrid Group, Dapo Omolade; HSE Manager, Schneider Electric, Anglophone West Africa, Stanley Okoro;- Medical Director – Carib Health Limited, Dr. Patrick Ijewere; CPR Specialist, Red Cross Society, Dr. Alfred Eguabor; and Marketing Communication Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Omobolanle Omotayo.

In a practical demonstration of Schneider Electric’s hands-on approach, Dr. Eguabor led first aid and CPR training sessions, providing employees with life-saving skills to respond to emergencies effectively.

As part of its safety innovation, Schneider Electric has implemented a third-party software, EcoOnline Safety App, an advanced platform designed to enable employees report incidents seamlessly. EcoOnline Safety App enhances workplace risk detection, fosters risk awareness, and promotes a culture of transparency where every team member can actively participate and contribute to improving workplace safety.

Schneider Electric’s proactive safety measures resonate with the Federal Government’s objectives to mitigate Nigeria’s OHS challenges. By prioritising professional safety training, hazard and risk reduction, legal compliance, and operational safety policy implementation, Schneider Electric is setting an industry benchmark for fostering safe and productive work environments.

• By Motunrayo Akintunde

Schneider Electric and NBOX1 data centre at the weekend sealed a power supply deal which will see the power company supply power to the data centre.

 Operated by iXAfrica Data Centres, NBOX1’s power infrastructure is built around, amongst others, Schneider Electric’s medium voltage (MV) and low voltage (LV) switchgear, ensuring stable and reliable cloud services powered by the country’s renewable energy grid.

By the deal, Schneider Electric becomes the power infrastructure provider for East Africa’s first hyperscale, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-ready, carrier-neutral data centre.

Commenting on the deal, CEO of iXAfrica, emphasised Kenya’s readiness for hyper-scale cloud infrastructure, highlighting the country’s conducive environment for cloud adoption and digital innovation.

“Kenya has the digital infrastructure, reliable energy mix, and a stable regulatory environment necessary to support the continued growth of the data centre sector,” Shah said.

Also commenting on the deal, Schneider Electric’s Vices President for Secure Power, Anglophone Africa, Ben Selier stressed the importance of sustainable practices.

“We are proud to partner with organisations like iXAfrica to create environmentally conscious data centres that meet the demands of the future,” he said.

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Shah also highlighted the strong relationship between iXAfrica and Schneider Electric, noting that the new campus was built on land formerly part of Schneider Electric’s complex, with power engineering designed by Schneider’s local partners.

“We’re delighted to work with Schneider Electric, a company that shares our passion for sustainability and operational excellence,” he said.

The NBOX1 facility, now fully operational, offers the most advanced digital environment for cloud, colocation, and connectivity services in the region. It is designed to attract hyperscale and Internet customers, providing a user experience on par with leading facilities in North America and Europe.

Schneider Electric has provided NBOX1 with a robust power train solution, including power protection, distribution equipment, transformers, MV and LV switchgear, and a Building Management System (BMS) to monitor the system. These solutions are designed to meet both international IEC standards and local requirements, considering Kenya’s power grid and Nairobi’s unique environmental conditions.

Additionally, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Data Centres IoT platform provides maximum resilience, continuous power supply and cost efficiency. The installed Galaxy VX modular 3-phase UPS with lithium-ion batteries are essential for maintaining NBOX1’s N+1 redundancy and achieving a 1.25 PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) across the campus.

Kenya’s data centre market has seen significant growth, projected by a recent report from the Africa Data Centres Association (ADCA) and the Oxford Business Group to increase by 50per cent in capacity by 2026. This surge is driven by the rapid adoption of digital services across sectors such as fintech, healthcare, and e-commerce, supported by the country’s expanding internet connectivity and renewable energy initiatives. With Nairobi positioned as a regional digital hub, the demand for robust data infrastructure has never been greater, and NBOX1 is well positioned to meet these needs.

iXAfrica’s NBOX1 is backed by a $50 million investment from leading private equity firm Helios and is strategically located within Africa’s rapidly expanding technology hub, the ‘Digital Savannah’. The facility serves a population of over 300+ million in the East Africa region, fostering innovation with a digitally savvy workforce, access to diverse internet fibre connectivity, and reliable low-carbon power sources. The data centre supports a sustainable digital ecosystem that continues to drive Kenya’s economic growth, forecast to expand by 5.2per cent this year.

NBOX1 is a testament to Schneider Electric’s commitment to sustainability. By integrating energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources, the facility is designed to reduce carbon emissions and support iXAfrica’s sustainability goals.

An energy management and industrial automation company, Schneider Electric, has restated its commitment to helping to drive the growth and development of Nigeria’s economy by creating more jobs and supporting the manufacturing sector to increase productivity.

Country President, Schneider Electric, West Africa, Ajibola  Akindele, who gave the commitment during the inauguration of the company’s new headquarters in Aromire, Ikeja, Lagos, this development marks a significant step in Schneider Electric’s commitment to Nigeria’s and indeed Africa’s economic growth through empowering individuals, communities and industries with sustainable energy solutions.

Akindele outlined Schneider Electric’s operations and continuous commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth and job creation through strategic local partnerships.

“At Schneider Electric, we are committed to driving economic growth and fostering job creation in Nigeria and across West Africa. In Nigeria, we have over 300 partners, including distributors, retailers, contractors, system integrators, and panel builders. Building local capacity to support customers is at the heart of our partnership strategy.

 “Through our partners, we indirectly create over 3,000 jobs in Nigeria, contributing to Schneider Electric’s global network of over 6 million partners. We believe in the Nigerian and African market, and we are dedicated to contributing to its flourishing by investing in local talent and market-specific solutions.

 “Over the 19 years we spent in Tunde Gafar Street, we have expanded from 40 employees to 250 employees, supporting critical sectors such as power, oil and gas, food and beverage, the consumer-packaged goods market, and the building segment. This new facility will not only service countries across the West African market but also serve as a hub to showcase our capabilities, innovation, and problem-solving expertise,” he said.

The event was attended by the Consul-General of France in Nigeria, Mr Laurent Favier; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Lagos State, Engr (Mrs) Abiola Kosegbe; Zone President, Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa, Walid Sheta; Cluster President, Schneider Electric’s Anglophone Africa, Devan Pillay; Marketing and Communications Manager, Schneider Electric, Anglophone West Africa, Omobolanle Omotayo, partners, reporters, and other guests.

The French envoy congratulated Schneider Electric team for the milestone. “Congratulations to the Schneider team for reaching this important milestone. France is dedicated to supporting your efforts here in Nigeria. Together, we aim to enhance and promote French interests in the region,” Favier said.

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Sheta spoke on the company’s commitment to ensuring its sustainability practices are integrated across its operations in Africa. “Time Magazine named Schneider Electric the most sustainable company in the world, and we are committed to maintaining that standard in Nigeria. Sustainability is closely tied to development and energy access, which remains a major challenge in Africa, and we believe the economical sustainable development will come in Africa. To achieve this, we need to invest in our talents to develop these products, solutions, and software, to deploy them in vast territories like Nigeria. We are proud to the most local of global companies. We are also committed to achieving net-zero operations, ensuring distribution centres, factories, hotels, and hospitals meet net-zero standards in real estate. More importantly, what we provide to our customers is electrification and digitization, which integrates sustainability into our operations,” he said.

Pillay underscored the significance of Schneider Electric’s unified headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, saying: “As a complex company, who operates in two primary areas: electrical distribution and industrial automation. It is essential for us to leverage all our key operations within the country. By consolidating our leadership for West Africa and bringing our teams together in one office, we can harness the power of collaboration to achieve more. This modern facility reflects Schneider’s commitment to fostering a progressive workplace environment that encourages teamwork and innovation.”

Schneider Electric drives digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, endpoint to cloud connecting products, controls, software, and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centres, infrastructure, and industries.

The new facility, strategically located in Lagos will serve as a central hub for Schneider Electric’s operations in Nigeria and the broader West African market.

Reliance on national grid might not be able to close the huge electricity gap in Nigeria but the embrace of a wide range of solutions such as Access to Energy (A2E) that are suitable for electrifying small homes and micro-enterprises, important public services, villages and communities, energy provider, Schneider Electric, has said.

According to the company, of the 600 million people in Africa that have no access to electricity, Nigeria accounts for 95 million. It said over 700 million people across the world without access to energy, adding that access to clean and sustainable energy remained the cornerstone of economic growth and development.

Speaking in Lagos during Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) conference and the launch of micro-grid solution for off-grid communities called Villaya Flex, Commercial Director MEAS, Access to Energy at Schneider Electric, Thomas Bonicel, said by next year, the company is targeting providing access to clean energy to 50 million people across the world and 100 million by 2030 in order to unlock access to the future for all. He said the company has decided to deploy it’s A2E solutions in Nigeria, adding that company’s major key performance indicator (KPI) is the impact measured by the quantity of connected people and with Villaya Flex, a latest Schneider Electric innovation, the company is ready to support independent electricity access and renewable energy adoption in remote villages and off-grid communities.

Speaking on the A2E program, Bonicel, said its mission is to empower communities through clean and reliable energy access.

 “Schneider Electric’s A2E program provides comprehensive approaches to support the universal access to sustainable, safe, and clean energy for developing countries including Africa, which includes training and entrepreneurship programs, social and inclusive business, and investment funds. In achieving sustainability, by 2030, we want to be net zero ready on all our operations, end-to-end carbon neutral value chain by 2040, and net zero C02 value chain by 2050,” he said on the forum with a focus on universal access to sustainable energy solutions.

Addressing critical topics concerning sustainable energy access in Africa, Country President, Schneider Electric West Africa, Ajibola Akindele, shared insights into Schneider Electric’s impact and the transformative initiatives undertaken across Africa and in Nigeria.

“Schneider Electric is a company that is almost 200 years old. We are a global company-a global company with a local presence in over 110 countries, and 150 thousand employees across the world. Our mission is to be a global digital partner for sustainability and efficiency, empowering all to make the most of our energy resources, bridge progress and sustainability for all.

“At Schneider Electric, we call this Life is On;  we have a proven track record and experience of 25 years in carrying out sustainability practices globally and have been recognized by the Corporate Knights Global 100 Index as the top 100 world’s most sustainable corporation for the 12th time in a row.

“In Nigeria, we have over a 100 partners serving all our customers in regions we serve across various industries: power sector, real estates, transportation, oil and gas, telecommunication, and travel and tourism. With a million electricians, 6000+ official distributors of Schneider Electric, and 120,000 point of sale distributors, Schneider Electric is a diversified company, closely knit to our customers, and delivering solutions that address the Nigerian market,” Akindele said.

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Another speaker on the occasion, Commercial Leader, Micro-grid, Teina Teibowei, said the Villaya Flex is a packaged, comprehensive micro-grid solution that maximizes solar energy to minimize reliance on polluting gensets. It incorporates smart monitoring and an integrated management system to efficiently manage multiple energy sources, ultimately optimizing the mini grid’s performance. Specifically designed for rural, off-the-grid communities, it aims to ensure a dependable and sustainable energy supply to meet daily needs and power productive economic activities in these communities.”

Teina also spoke on the Federal Government’s and the World Bank’s joint efforts to extend electricity access to rural Nigerian villages. Schneider Electric’s Villaya Flex microgrid solution is well-positioned to tackle the electrification challenges of these remote communities, potentially serving as a valuable asset for the World Bank’s Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project.

Schneider Electric is committed to providing access to clean electricity to 50 million by 2025, and 100 million by 2030. To date, 46.5 million people have already benefited from Schneider’s energy access solutions. Through innovative solutions like Villaya Flex, Schneider Electric continues to drive positive change, enabling sustainable development and resilience in off-grid communities across Africa.

Marketing Communication Manager, Schneider Electric West Africa, Omobolanle Omotayo, and other stake holders in the energy sector attended the event held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.