Engr Aliyu Tahir, managing director, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), has warned against the importation of substandard electricity materials into Nigeria.

Mr Tahir, who is also chief electrical inspector of the federation, gave the warning at the 2023 first quarter interactive session with energy reporters in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the agency was collaborating with Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that only standard electrical materials were imported into Nigeria.

He said NEMSA had begun removing such materials across the country, adding that 68,168 substandard materials were removed in 2022.

The managing director said the agency had equally set up a tax force on monitoring and evaluation of existing networks to stem the use of substandard electrical materials.

Mr Tahir said NEMSA would not relent in its effort to achieve its mandate, particularly in the area of substandard materials.

“Four distribution companies in Abuja, Ibadan, Ikeja and Eko were monitored by the Tax Force set up by NEMSA last year.

“This year, the monitoring exercise will continue to cover the six other distribution companies in Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna, Yola, Jos, Benin and Enugu.

“The essence of this effort is to maintain stability in the existing electricity networks.

“This is also to stem use of substandard materials, cables and equipment in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI),” he said.

On other achievements of the agency in 2022, Mr Tahir said 10, 876 new electrical projects were inspected, 10, 598 existing networks were monitored and 771 of them were resolved.

He further said 3,480 factories, public places and hotels were inspected, 2, 576, 607 electricity meters tested, 2,719 electrical personnel certified and 6,332 certificates renewed.

According to him, the agency also inspected 647 pole manufacturers in the country, investigated 376 electrical accident sites and established the first meter generation museum and gallery.

Other achievements according to him are the training of 18 electrical engineers of NEMSA on renewable energy, certification of 36 electricity meters and instruments manufacturing assembling companies.

The managing director said in furtherance of previous achievements, the agency would continue with sensitisation, certification as well as stakeholders’ engagement among others.

“There is a planned national conference on safety which is aimed at bringing together core professionals in the power sector and security agencies.

“This is to chart the way forward on how to provide and deepen NEMSA’s services in areas of security, safety of lives and property in NESI,” he said.

Mr Tahir said the agency was not unmindful of concerns by electricity customers.

According to him, the problem of epileptic power supply, meter purchases by customers, fast reading meters among others were being addressed.

He commended the media for its continued support while calling for more support, particularly in the area of awareness creation on the agency’s mandate.

NEMSA was established in 2015 to enforce technical standards and regulations.

It was also established for testing and certification of all categories of electrical installations among others.

(NAN)