The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) on has commenced the training of 600 engineers of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), under the joint collaboration between NAPTIN and TCN.The training of the TCN engineers is scheduled to hold simultaneously in Lagos, Kaduna and Kainji Dam in Niger State.
The acting Director-General of NAPTIN Ahmed Nagode, said the capacity building training of the Transmission Service Providers (TSP) staff of the TCN was put together to broaden their knowledge on effective service delivery.
Nagode said that the institution had begun the first batch of 246 trainees in three locations in the country, adding that the programme would last for seven weeks.He said that the training was segmented into various key categories namely, transmission lines, design construction and maintenance, maintenance of transformers and power system protection.
According to him, the training was carefully selected for TCN engineers to improve their knowledge and keep them abreast of modern technologies in the world.“We commended the management of TCN for deeming it fit to train their staff and for attaching importance to capacity building of staff. Nagode urged the trainees to make the best use of the opportunity by ensuring that they achieved the objectives of the training, and that it would make them better industry players and also guarantee their safety at work.
According to him, under the collaboration, NAPTIN will train 600 staff of power utilities in the country. Nagode said the initiative would lead to enhancement of the capacity and competence of the manpower in the maintenance of the facilities and improvements in service delivery, as the collaboration is to train 600.
He lauded the support of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, for ensuring stronger synergy among power sector institutions, to boost efficiency and productivity.While commending the efforts of the TCN Managing Director, Usman Mohammed, for the step taken, he advanced that “this has enhanced the ongoing WAPP initiative of developing a business model for NAPTIN Kainji as a Regional Centre of Excellence.’’Nagode who reaffirmed the their commitment in training young Nigerians who wants to pursue careers in the power sector, disclosed the institutes plans to get its International Standards Organising (ISO) certification, to boost its operations in country.
Urging workers on transparency, Mohammed disclosed that “We have gotten an approval to recruit about 200 young electrical engineers and 45 linesmen, which means five per region, to boost out production. We are also working to ensure workers are paid like the private sector and we are also planning to buy two helicopters for effective surveillance and working operations,’’ he added
