BY JACINTA HYCENTH
The Management of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Ondo State Government have expressed willingness to collaborate towards enhancing the safety and reliability of electrical installations within the state.
This is contained in a statement by the Agency’s Head of Communications and Protocol, Mrs. Ama Umoren, on Friday, emphasising that the partnership will foster a regorous regime of technical standardization, inspection and testing of all electrical equipment and materials to ensure safety of life and property in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and allied industries in the country.
It stated that this initiative formed part of the resolutions at a virtual meeting held on Monday between officials of the federal government agency and those of the Ondo state government.
According to the statement, the Virtual meeting which was held at the instance of the NEMSA Management was chaired by Engr. Aliyu Tukur Tahir, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of NEMSA who also doubles as the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF).
Others in attendance were top management staff of the Agency and representatives of the Ondo State government led by the Special Adviser to the State governor on Energy Barr. Olatunji Light.
Welcoming the representatives of the Ondo state government to the meeting, Engr. Tahir acknowledged the team for attending the meeting and expressed hope that the planned collaboration will enhance smooth operation in the power sector.
In his opening remark, leader of the Ondo State government team, Barr, Olatunji Light conveyed the commendation of the state governor His Excellency Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa to NEMSA Management for inviting them to the meeting, stressing that this would lead to a strong collaborative effort in ensuring safety of lives and property in the state.
He said the state government was already collaborating with other federal government agencies in the same regard, noting that the state government is embarking on a number of projects that would need collaboration with NEMSA.
He expressed willingness of the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bureau (OSERB) to work with NEMSA harmoniously to ensure standardization, inspection, testing of electrical installations within Ondo State. He emphasized the need for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to guide the collaboration which will serve as the template for other state governments to emulate.
The statement further disclosed that part of the resolutions include to set up a team with membership drawn from NEMSA and the Ondo State government. The team is expected come up with suggestions on the possible areas of collaboration.
NEMSA was established by the NEMSA Act of 2015 ( now Electricity Act 2023) and charged with the mandate of the enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations, Technical Inspection, Testing and Certification of all categories of electrical installations, electricity meters and instruments to ensure an 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 (NESI) and allied industries in the country.