Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — Health, safety and accident prevention took centre stage as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, convened the first biannual Health, Safety and Environment, HSE, meeting for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, in Abuja.
The three-day meeting brought together HSE and Performance Managers from Generation Companies, GenCos, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, and Distribution Companies, DisCos, to review industry safety performance and develop strategies for reducing accidents across the electricity value chain.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of Technical Regulation Division at NERC, Engr. (Dr.) Abu Kadiri, announced the release of the new Health and Safety Code and urged participants to ensure its effective implementation by sensitising staff within their respective organisations. He also highlighted the Commission’s ongoing accident reduction initiatives aimed at improving safety performance across the industry.
Also speaking, the Head of Health, Safety and Environment at NERC, Dr. Jonathan Okoronkwo, identified stakeholder Sensitization 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.
