By Hassan Ibrahim
The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Adamu Ahmed, has called for stronger attention to equipment reliability, proper maintenance and lifespan optimisation in Nigeria’s electricity sector, saying reliable power infrastructure is essential to achieving sustainable economic growth, industrial expansion and technological self-reliance.
Professor Ahmed stated this at the maiden one-day symposium on Electric Power Equipment Management and Diagnostics organised by the Materials Physics Research Group, Department of Physics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The symposium, held at the Africa Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering (ACENPEE), Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru Main Campus, Zaria.
The Vice chancellor Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, professor Adamu Ahmed represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Professor Bello Sabo, said Nigeria’s power-sector challenges were not limited to generation and transmission capacity, but were also deeply rooted in equipment reliability, maintenance schedules and the optimisation of equipment lifespan.
He noted that premature failure of power equipment and operational strain could have serious consequences across manufacturing, healthcare, education and small businesses, stressing that academic research must be directed towards solving national development challenges.
Professor Ahmed urged universities to work closely with policymakers, utility regulators, researchers and industry practitioners to ensure that research findings were translated into practical solutions, public policies, operational standards and industrial practices.
He particularly encouraged participants to explore the use of localised diagnostic tools, advanced materials testing and smart maintenance frameworks across Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the Head of the Department of Physics, the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences and the Materials Physics Research Group for their support and initiative, urging the group to make the maiden symposium the beginning of a sustained research agenda.
In his speech, a member of the Materials Physics Research Group, Professor Abdulghafar Amoka Abdelmalek, presented a paper on “The Status of High Voltage Engineering Research in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.”
Professor Abdelmalek explained that high-voltage research had existed at ABU since the 1970s, although the programme became inactive for some time before efforts were made to revive it around 2012.
He said the research had evolved into an interdisciplinary field involving physics, chemistry and electrical engineering, adding that efforts by researchers in the Department of Physics contributed to its revival.
According to him, by around 2018, the researchers had secured grants to acquire equipment that now forms part of the High Voltage Materials Research Laboratory in the Department of Physics, which is currently being used for high-voltage research..
Also speaking, Dr Lawal Muhammad, a staff member of the Department of Physics and the first leader of the Materials Physics Research Group, said the symposium was conceived to create greater awareness of the group’s activities and strengthen links between the university and industries.
He said the group’s major objectives included conducting research, solving societal problems and mentoring postgraduate students, while encouraging collaboration across faculties and departments of the university.
Dr Muhammad expressed optimism that the maiden symposium would create opportunities for stronger partnerships and enable the research group to contribute more effectively to solving challenges in Nigeria’s power sector.
Earlier in his welcome address the Head of the Department of Physics, Professor Aminu Ahmad Lawal, stressed the importance of collaboration between the university and industry, particularly in addressing challenges in the power sector.
He said participants from ministries, departments, agencies and industries would benefit from the collaborations and discussions generated during the symposium, particularly in relation to the deployment of microgrid initiatives
The themed of the symposium “The Role of Materials Science in Nigeria’s Electricity Utility Maintenance and Management.”brought together academics, researchers, students, government representatives and industry stakeholders to discuss practical approaches to improving the management, diagnosis, reliability and maintenance of electric power equipment in Nigeria.
0 Comments