Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN) has sought collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to promote professionalism and upscale knowledge and skills within the nation’s power sector.
President of CIPEN, Israel Abraham, made the request when he led a delegation of the institute on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Labour and Employment yesterday.
The institute was established by an Act of Parliament in 2023, and is empowered to regulate and determine the standards of knowledge required for practicing power engineering in Nigeria
In a statement signed by Emameh Gabriel, Special Adviser on Media to the minister, Abraham said the institute was interested in promoting and entrenching professionalism as well as enhancing competence and capacity within Nigeria’s power sector.
“We are here to solicit the cooperation and collaboration of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in promoting and entrenching professionalism to upscale knowledge and skills and enhance competence and capacity within Nigeria’s power sector,” he said.
Abraham said CIPEN has developed various licences for different categories of power engineering personnel, and was seeking the ministry’s support in enforcing their adoption.
The CIPEN president also requested the ministry’s support for the inclusion of CIPEN’s qualifications in the National Scheme of Service for the placement of power engineering personnel in the civil service.
“We are confident that a synergy between CIPEN and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment will instill a sense of sanctity, foster professionalism, eradicate mediocrity in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) necessary for driving sectoral performance, and ultimately give birth to a thriving power industry that will exceed the expectations of all Nigerians,” Abraham said.
In her response, the Minister highlighted the dangers of quackery in key industries like power and construction. She argued that lack of qualified professionals was hindering economic growth and even costing lives.
She said without qualified professionals, industries cannot reach their full potential, adding that the resultant substandard work was responsible for issues of building collapse, power outages and even loss of lives.
In addition, she noted that without checks, unqualified individuals would continue to provide substandard work, leading to issues of building collapses, power outages and even loss of lives.
She expressed the readiness of the ministry to support the Institute to combat quackery, noting that the government’s eight-point agenda requires professional expertise to succeed.
According to the Minister, it was mandatory that “qualified individuals handle essential tasks in key sectors, while at the same time protecting professionals, supporting and valuing those who have invested time and effort in gaining proper qualifications.”
Onyejeocha further said the government was committed to delivering services that meet international standards, adding that achieving this goal required addressing the issue of quackery within the country.
She added: “Quackery is part of the reasons our industries are not growing. And if doesn’t grow, you create dearth in the economy and in the overall output of all we have invested on in our industries.
“Every time I come across people seeking to instill discipline in our attitude towards work, I get excited, because I believe we can’t grow with quackery, we can’t grow with imitation and with we turning deaf ears to issues that bedevil national interest.
“We have seen from records that once you a professional in place with the right mindset and attitude, positive outcome is certain.
“If you study the 8-point Agenda of the president, it was crafted carefully, every point of it has a professional touch and a human face. And there is no way you can bring a human face to bare if you don’t engage a professional to do that.”
She assured the delegation of the government’s support to work with the Institute in ensuring that the needed change is brought to the power sector.
“This government is to deliver on goods and services that will meet international standards. If we don’t get it right from within, I don’t think we will be able to get it right internationally.
“If quackery is not combatted, it is like we are deliberately neglecting why we sent people to school. We must protect professionals. Look at the building sector, why are building collapsing? Because we have allowed people without professional skills to take over the space.
“This must stop. We are losing lives because we are neglecting why we sent people to school. This also applies to the power sector,” she said.
