NIGERIA Invest in 2012-13 - Newsdesk Media

EnErgy boost for nigEria:
PHCn and naPtin PavE tHE way
As a young country with a fast-growing population, Nigeria has two urgent priorities, namely educational
provision and a reliable energy supply. To meet both demands, the government took the decision in
2009 to set up the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) within the structure of the
Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ) and Lucas-Nülle, the world’s leading manufacturer of technical training systems, were involved
from day one.
Nigeria is working to further develop a sustainable power
supply. In order to achieve this, the government has decided to
privatise the state power company, PHCN. The target that has
been set for the future private energy provider is to increase
output tenfold by 2020 to at least 40,000 megawatts.
“A road map for this high aim was launched in 2010 and the
government follows it rigorously. Training of the workforce is a
critical mass in realising this government’s vision. The power
industry of Nigeria is affected by skills shortage, which causes a
huge gap in efficient operation of the power system. The government
is poised to address this by establishing NAPTIN to be a
centre for capacity building and to coordinate all training
activities of the sector,” says NAPTIN director Reuben Okeke.
Dr. Dere Awosika, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, His Royal
Highness Alh. Haliru Dantoro Kitoro III (con), Emir of Borgu Kingdom,
Niger State, Engr. Reuben Okeke, director general of NAPTIN
In order to bring a professional approach to the establishment
of this prestigious institute, long experience in the planning and
implementation of educational technical labs was required.
By late 2009, Okeke and Stefan Welp, Sales Director responsible
for Nigeria at Lucas-Nülle, were developing their initial ideas
for the new educational institution, and they continued to
fine-tune them in the months that followed. They worked closely
together to analyse what the facility would have to provide in the
future in order to offer high-quality training. They drew up plans
for laboratories in which teaching timetables would be so
organised as to make optimum use of all the rooms. Consultants
from Lucas-Nülle and Reuben Okeke’s project team jointly
developed the curriculum, always in compliance with current
industry standards. When this was in place, appropriate training
systems were identified for procurement.
In 2010, a delegation from NAPTIN visited Lucas-Nuelle’s
headquarters in Germany and after a thorough examination of the
training systems on offer, opted for the electrical and energy
engineering package in its entirety. For NAPTIN, the focus has
always been on practical experience, Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) components and their integration into
educational experiments based on real practice. The ‘blended
learning’ approach that underlies all training systems from
Lucas-Nülle was also an important criterion in the decision.
Another criterion was the comprehensive service offered by
Lucas-Nülle – before, during and after delivery of the systems.
So that the training systems could be used immediately,
employees of Lucas-Nülle not only travelled to Africa to oversee
the installation but also trained teachers in their use. Lucas-Nülle
consulted university professors and teachers with many years’
experience of working abroad in devising the specialised
preparatory seminars. Five of the future instructors at NAPTIN
came to Germany for initial training by Professor Hans Laufer in
the classrooms of Lucas-Nülle. In the course of this seminar, the