Institute Pledges Support For Kogi Electricity Market Reform

The Power Equipment and Electrical Machinery Development Institute (PEEMADI) has pledged comprehensive technical and human capacity support to strengthen the ongoing electricity market reform in Kogi State.

The acting managing director/chief executive officer of PEEMADI, Engr. Abdulsalam El-Suleiman, made the commitment during a visit by the management team of the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to the institute’s headquarters in Okene.

According to a statement by Alhaji Ali Atabor, head of Public Affairs of KERC, the PEEMADI boss said the institute was ready to provide technical cooperation, engineering expertise, research support and product development capabilities to support the state’s power sector transformation.

“No institution can achieve transformational impact in isolation,” Engr. El-Suleiman stated, emphasizing PEEMADI’s commitment to partnering with the Kogi State Government and KERC in building a viable, efficient, technology-driven, and investor-friendly electricity market.

He noted that the ongoing transition toward smart energy systems, renewable energy integration, and digitalized electricity networks makes strategic collaboration essential for improved service delivery and the realization of the state’s electricity sector goals.

The acting CEO highlighted PEEMADI’s strengths in advanced manufacturing technology, engineering design, equipment development, renewable energy systems, and electrical machinery development.

Describing the engagement as timely, he stressed that Nigeria’s power sector urgently requires innovative, technology-driven, and locally sustainable solutions to address challenges in power generation, distribution, metering, revenue protection, technical losses, infrastructure deficits, and manpower development.

Engr. El-Suleiman also commended KERC’s leadership for prioritizing institutional partnerships aimed at deepening reforms in the electricity sector.

Speaking on behalf of the KERC chairman/CEO, Engr. Ibrahim Sunday Abdwaaris, the Commission’s General Manager for Market Competition and Rate, Alhaji Suleiman Isa, said the visit was aimed at exploring areas of collaboration with distribution licensees, state electricity regulators, and other critical stakeholders in areas such as metering, transformer maintenance, and electrical equipment repairs.

He explained that the KERC delegation also inspected PEEMADI’s facilities and products to assess their compliance with the Commission’s technical specifications, with a view to enhancing electricity supply across the state.

Alhaji Isa reaffirmed that strengthening local technical capacity remains central to KERC’s mandate of ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for consumers in Kogi State.

Other members of the KERC delegation included Engr. Usman Umar, General Manager, Engineering, Performance and Monitoring, and Mr. Yakub Omanayi, General Manager, Strategy.