More jobs coming in Egbin Power, Eko DISCO

With the rehabilitation of its sixth steam turbine, Egbin Power Generation Plc may soon throw its doors open to job seekers. So also is Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), which is carrying out an audit to create fresh openings. EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

Here is good news for job seekers, especially those with engineering  and technical skills. There will soon be job openings in Egbin Power Generation Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Lagos State.

The Egbin Power management has rehabilitated the plant’s sixth steam turbine (ST06), adding 220 megawatts (MW) to the national grid. The company is also upgrading its facility; overhauling and retooling the ST04 to maximise output. With the rehabilitation, the plant’s six turbines are operational and meeting its 1320MW installed capacity. The jobs will come from the planned expansion of the plant, which will add another 1,350MW from the combined cycle plant.

Chairman, Egbin Power Plc Kola Adesina said on handover of the plant to its new owners, Sahara Power Group and Korea Electric Power Company Nigeria (KEPCO) in November 2013, the plants rehabilitation became a priority.  He noted that the restoration of ST06 and the retooling of ST04 have created thousands of jobs, adding that more will be created.

In recognition of the importance of commerce and industry, output from Egbin unit Six will be made available under an innovative bilateral commercial arrangement to Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies to help improve power availability in Lagos and its industrial outskirts.

“We are, indeed, leading a new dawn in job creation within Lagos and its environs. We have made significant investments in the rehabilitation of Unit Six, overhauling and retooling of Unit Four, renovation of the office space, computerisation of processes, and increase in staff remuneration. We recruited 107 engineers to shore up the capacity deployment in the plant, he said, adding that by the development, over 6,000 direct jobs and over 10,000 indirect employments will be created in terms of support and maintenance services, engineering, procurement, supplies to power sector, including support for the small and medium scale industries.”

On the new 1350MW plant planned for construction, Adesina stated that the management has inaugurated the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study. After the preliminary activities, including the conduct of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), among others, the company will mobilise to site.

From the foundation, construction and installation of the turbines, tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created for specialised, skilled and unskilled job seekers outside engineers and technicians, he stated.

Adesina said electricity has played a pivotal role in unlocking potentials, unchaining productivity and releasing vital energy that guarantees individual and national prosperity, innovation and industrialisation. Electricity supply in a reliable manner will help uplift the creative intelligence of our people and engender exceptional entrepreneurship in our citizens.

“We have commenced an ambitious plan to double the capacity of Egbin within the next four years, Adesina said, adding that the 1,350MW will be realised with the kick-starting of the Combined Cycle plant with its Front End Engineering Design Study in place.

“For us to achieve these noble objectives and unravel the bottlenecks in the value chain, we seek government’s help in terms of gas availability and expansion of the transmission network.

But in the light of paucity of funds faced by the government, the hands of the private sector needs to be strengthened by allowing significant investment in both the transmission and gas infrastructure. With the appropriate models and investment recovery mechanism, this holistic public private partnership (PPP) approach, will engender a faster, cheaper and more productive result in rapidly growing the value chain.

“Beyond the shores of our nation, we aim to eventually expand the scope of our operations to the African market, through acquisition of existing power facilities and building of new infrastructure, not only through trading of electricity across Africa but also to provide a leeway to trans-national development.”

The owners of the Egbin Power and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company – the Sahara Energy Group and its partner, Korea Electric Power Company Nigeria (KEPCO) recently employed 107 young graduate engineers who are being trained by the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN) under the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme (NAPSAN). The company is also set for recruitment.

Adesina said the choice of NAPTIN for this resource function was informed by the company’s belief that it is well equipped to provide the depth of expertise required to master peculiarities of the sector as the reforms continue to unfold.

He noted that Sahara Power would also take advantage of its relationship with the globally renowned Korea Electric Power Company to expose its professionals to offshore training and exchange programmes.

The Minister of Power Prof Chinedu Nebo said the Federal Government in an effort to create more jobs spaces in the power sector, initiated a one-year apprenticeship scheme to train 7,400 young Nigerians on technical jobs. Known as NAPSAS at will ensure that there is adequate skilled manpower base that will take up jobs in the sector instead of expatriates.

Participants are drawn from across the country and trained in batches. Nebo said the initiative is vital or lest foreigners will take up the jobs. “We need this and we cannot run away from it because if we don’t do it, the Chinese and Indians will take them up. They are even here already and you see them doing jobs that Nigerians can do. Why don’t we train our people as we create these jobs so that when the international companies demand for expatriate quota, we can ask them if they have exhausted the local capacity that we have here?”

The NAPSAS programme will afford young Nigerians the opportunity to receive technical trainings in the area of electrical fitters, cable jointers, linesmen and district substation operators within six months to one year.

The minister explained the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) will manage the scheme and trainees will be drawn from all states of the federation, with state governments sponsoring 1,000 of them while the federal government will sponsor another 1,000 in addition to providing monthly stipends of N18,000 through the duration of the training.

On conclusion of the EKEDC audits, some workers will be retired to create employment for the young, it was learnt. “Ongoing staff audit when concluded, will pave way for stronger and efficient workforce. Several engineers, technicians, IT personnel will be added to the workforce. I must also tell you that regular training and retraining of staff will be stepped henceforth.”

EKEDC Chief Executive Officer Dr Oladele Amoda, confirmed plans, but said the company is not sacking anybody.

“We only want to re-strengthen the workforce and ensure efficiency to meet the aspirations of the company,” he said.

“Legacy members of staff are aging and need to be replaced by the younger ones. We don’t want to experience skills-gap. The younger ones that would be employed will get tutelage the employment before the aged workforce,” he said, adding that the company currently has a workforce of about 2,200 staff members.

 

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