Power

Electricity Standards – Practices Adopted in Nigeria for Harmonization across Country

September 22, 20230615

-Engr. Aliyu Tukur Tahir

 Electricity Standards practices adopted in Nigeria for harmonization across country at the Nigerian Energy 2023 leadership conference with the theme ‘Unlocking new value with reforms, investments and technology’.

The conference has provided the needed platforms for developing solutions and partnerships to meet Nigeria energy challenges.

Electricity has become a necessary part of our everyday life and it is of great benefit to us. The benefit has expanded tremendously, the latest been our transportation system being transform to use electricity.

However, electricity is associated with hazards, which if miss-used/abused, a  terrible price is paid in injuries, fatalities, equipment damage, fire outbreak,  unscheduled down time, etc., for safe, reliable, sustainable electricity supply and  use, it is paramount that the associated hazards are effectively mitigated.

Mitigating the hazards of electricity to make it safe, reliable and sustainable, lead to the development of the electrical standards, regulations and codes.

Therefore, electrical standards are developed to ensure protection and safety of lives and property against hazards. And also to ensured durability of electrical installations and facilitate its effective use.

The develop electrical standards, regulations and codes can only be impactful if effectively enforce thus, the establishment of the Nigerian Electricity

Management Services Agency (NEMSA).

NEMSA was established by the NEMSA Act 2015 which is now the ELECTRICITY  ACT 2023, to carry out the Functions of Enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations, Technical Inspection, Testing and Certification of All Categories of  Electrical Installations, Electricity Meters and Instruments, etc., to ensure the  Efficient Production and Delivery of Safe, Reliable and Sustainable Electricity

Power Supply and Guarantee safety of Lives and Property in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, other allied industries and premises.

In Nigeria, three Government agencies are saddled with the responsibilities of

Electrical Standards and regulations as well as the enforcement of these regulations and standards in various capacities. The agencies are: Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is the sole statutory body that is vested with the responsibility of standardising and regulating the quality of all products in Nigeria. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is saddled with the development of electricity regulations and codes. And also, protect the interest of consumers, issue licences to operators/investors, set and review electricity tariff and where possible promote competition. The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) is an enforcement agency that ensures that both the standards and regulations established by SON and NERC are strictly adhered to in NESI and allied industries and premises.

The three agencies collaborate in carrying-out their mandate, for example, NEMSA participates in the standing committee of SON that is saddle with the development of standards for the electricity sector. And also part of panel that develops NERC regulation and codes. This collaboration brings about harmonize statutory electrical installation practice across the country.

How NEMSA Enforce the regulations and standards A. Legal instruments/backing: The extant law, regulations, standards and codes NEMSA uses for its enforcement activities are:

  1. Electricity Act 2023
  2. Nigerian Electricity Supply and Installation Standards (NESIS)

Regulations 2015

iii. The Grid Code for the Nigeria Electricity Transmission System &

GENCOS

  1. The Distribution Code for the Nigeria Electricity Distribution System;
  2. The Nigerian Metering Code (NMC) version 02;
  3. Nigerian Smart Metering Code;

vii. The Nigerian Electricity Health and Safety Code.

viii. Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) – SON Codes of Practice.

  1. IEC Standards & Specifications.
  2. IEE Regulations
  3. NEMSA resources and infrastructure use for its enforcement activities:
  4. 19 Inspectorate field offices located nationwide
  5. 6 National Meter Test Stations located at; Lagos (Oshodi), Port

Harcourt, Kaduna, Enugu, Benin, and Kano.

iii. 1 Engineering & Chemical Laboratory located at Lagos (Ijora)

  1. 3 Warehouses for electrical materials and equipment
  2. Manpower (Engineers and other array of officers)
  3. Statutory activities of NEMSA: The Agency statutory activities are group into five areas:
  4. The new electrical installations/projects coming into use;
  5. Existing electrical installation across the Power Value Chain;

iii. Electrical materials, equipment and instruments use in NESI and allied industries;

  1. Electrical installations personnel/practitioners;
  2. General safety of lives and property in NESI and allied industry.
  3. Facilitation measures for effective enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations: Some of the measures taken by NEMSA in its enforcement drive include:
  4. The production of ‘Nigerian Electrical Installation and Construction

Guidelines Manual’ for the Distribution Subsector

  1. Production of ‘Guidelines for the Inspection of Solar Mini Grids in

Nigeria’ which outline the application, inspection and certification procedures/processes and documentation of solar mini grids in Nigeria

iii. General observations and findings during the statutory activates lead to the issuance of a number of Enforcement Notices/directives to the stakeholders in NESI among which are:

▪ Enforcement on the use of 150mm2 Aluminum Conductor Steel

Reinforced (ACSR) as a minimum size conductor for primary 33kV feeder lines in Nigeria

▪ Banning the use of substandard electrical materials/equipment and stoppage of substandard and bad construction practices in the power industry.

▪ Enforcement guidelines on the restriction of the use of the 33kV primary feeder lines for point transformers connections in distribution substations nationwide.

▪ Disconnection of structures/building found under power line or within the right of way of power line across the country.

  1. Promote active working relationship with relevant agencies and other stakeholders to achieve greater efficiency in service delivery.

We will continue to provide our services to all stakeholders in Nigeria and have come to terms that the function of Enforcement of Electricity standards and regulations requires collaboration with relevant stakeholders especially; SON,

NERC, security agencies, etc., to effectively and seemly tackle challenges of delivering safe, reliable and sustainable electric power supply in Nigeria.

 

This keynote address was delivered by Engr. Aliyu Tukur Tahir, MD/CEO Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) at the 10th Nigeria Energy Conference and Exhibition held in Lagos.

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