FG trains Ghanaian, Liberian, Egyptian, Malawian Electricity Workers

The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, an agency of the Federal Government, has been contracted to train employees of the Egyptian Electricity Corporation as the organisation expands its activities in Africa.

NAPTIN also stated that it had trained power sector officials of Ghana and Liberia in a bid to boost the delivery of electricity in the West African nations and beyond.

The institute’s Director-General, Ahmed Bolaji, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja at the official presentation of QMS ISO 9001:2015 Certificate to NAPTIN by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

He said, “NAPTIN is centre of excellence in West Africa, for we have trained staff of the Liberia Electricity Corporation in Liberia and we’ve trained power employees of Ghana, i.e. GridCo and VRA, in the power sector in Ghana.

“We have gone as far as training power employees in Malawi in East Africa and we’ve been contracted to train staff of the Egyptian Electricity Corporation and my instructors will be embarking on the trip.

“So, we are now globally recognised and we are really a centre of excellence not only in Nigeria but in Africa.”

On the certificate by SON, Bolaji explained that the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system was a process development that would strengthen business performance, create efficiency in work and guarantee world-class corporate governance.

He said the ISO certificate would enable the institute to build enduring customer satisfaction, which was the ultimate goal of any product development organisation.

“This development will enhance the NAPTIN brand and product offerings and will guarantee quality assurance and meet standards of regulatory requirements,” he stated.

Bolaji said NAPTIN had continued to function as the power training centre in the West African sub-region under West African Power Pool and also the Association of Power Utilities of Africa under the African Network Centres of Excellence in Electricity project.

The Director-General, SON, Farouk Salim, advised NAPTIN to keep the system healthy and up to date to reap the benefits of the ISO approach to management.

He said, “This system, having been certified, has been placed on annual surveillance audits to ensure continuing suitability and effectiveness.

“In the course of the audit exercises, where non-conformance is observed and is effectively corrected within the specified time frame, the system will retain the certificate.

“However, the certificate will be withdrawn if the structures in place for certification break down and necessary corrective actions are not taken on observed non-conformance.”