Medinat Kanabe
A 22-YEAR-OLD student of the Kano State University of Science, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Abdulbaki Ahmed has unveiled a smart grid technology solution to address the nation’s lingering power crisis.
Ahmed, who bested over 150 others to emerge winner at the National Engineering Science and Tech, NESTEC Competition, in his paper titled, ‘Smart Grid: The Viable Route to Trouncing Nigeria’s Recurring System Collapses,’ proffered solution to the Nigeria’s power failures and system collapses.
In an interview with The Nation, he said his paper focused on how Nigeria can standardise her electrical system because according to him, the electricity value chain in Nigeria is very bad.
“The paper talks about how we can improve the problems we are having. You know we cannot develop in any aspect without having reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity. It talked about improving the current grid we are having, revamping it with new technology like Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), and Advanced Metering Infrastructure, AMI.”
Ahmed said in 2018 alone Nigeria experienced an average of 28 system collapses. He said in 2019 the country experienced three collapses in 18 hours in May 2019 after collapsing six times in Q1 of the same year.
He explained that a smart grid is a self-healing, consumer and market friendly grid using digital electric meters that records consumption in real-time, help in responding to demand and on or off power remotely.
“Considering the huge capital that the government is putting in solving electricity problems in the country, I think that money can be channeled towards the adoption of this smart grid,” he stressed.
Speaking during the event, the chief host and founder of Blue Apple, the organisers of the competition, Mr Akan Michael said such competition is required so that engineers who will change the face of engineering in Nigeria can be detected and nurtured.
“There are doubts in technological development in the country and technology in Nigeria is lacking in the way and manner that it leaves` the country in a state of underdevelopment. Many of the engineering activities been done in the country is done by foreigners for us like our railways, roads constructions and even the power sector and it has been like that for years. We want a situation whereby we can raise a generation of engineers who will think differently from our generation. They will see the possibility, capacity of what we can do in any situation.”
Asked how publicity was done for the competition, he said they advertised on the pages of newspapers and social media and we also went to school. He said a lot of people applied at the engineers’ forum. “They sent abstract of their work and the technical committee looks at it and decide. About 150 people applied but 13 people made it to the final stage and then we got the three final winners.”
Abdulbaki Ahmed got N300, 000, Wojuola Moses, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering who wrote on Additive Manufacturing Technology- An imperative for best manufacturing practices, emerged second and got N250, 000 while Ntah Frankline of the Yaba College of Technology with paper, ‘Use of Biogas’ in relevance to the needs of the Nigerian society emerged third and went home with N200, 000.
On his part, the special guest, Associate Professor, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, University of Lagos, Tolulope Akinbulire said the engineering profession has suffered a lot of neglect and the young people have been made to lose interest; not because they are not good enough to compete worldwide but because the environment is not conducive enough.
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