The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently convened first biannual Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) meeting for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), bringing together safety officials from across the power sector to review accident trends and chart ways to make the industry safer.
The three-day meeting held in Abuja, drew HSE and Performance Managers from power Generation Companies (GenCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and Distribution Companies (DisCos), who examined industry-wide safety performance and worked on strategies to cut down accidents across the electricity value-chain.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of NERC’s Technical Regulation Division, Engr. Abu Kadiri, announced the release of a new Health and Safety Code for the industry and called on participants to ensure it is properly implemented, urging them to sensitise staff within their respective organisations.
According to NERC, Engr. Kadiri also pointed to the Commission’s continuing efforts to reduce accidents and improve overall safety performance across the sector.
Also speaking, the Head of Health, Safety and Environment at NERC, Dr. Jonathan Okoronkwo, identified stakeholder sensitisation against the vandalism of critical power infrastructure as one of the Commission’s key safety initiatives, noting that protecting electricity assets is essential to safeguarding lives and ensuring reliable power supply.
The meeting featured presentations and discussions on: Review of significant incidents and safety compliance across the industry; Assessment of HSE budget implementation; Strategies for accident prevention and reduction; and Legal considerations in accident investigation and regulatory compliance.
Held twice annually, the HSE meeting provides a platform for stakeholders to review safety performance, share best practices, and reinforce a strong safety culture across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
