Amid the infrastructure challenges facing local industries in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria, Schneider Electric has identified software-defined automation as a critical tool in tackling persistent downtime and boosting operational efficiency.

According to reports, Nigerian manufacturers spent N1.35 trillion on alternative power in 2025, a 21 per cent increase from the previous year. Energy costs now constitute 35 per cent to 40 per cent of production expenses for many companies, while unreliable electricity costs the economy about $29 billion annually – nearly 7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the World Bank.

Against this backdrop, Schneider Electric’s Country Sales Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Elijah Daniel, explained that technology enables operators to reconfigure industrial control systems via software instead of replacing specialised hardware.

In a statement yesterday titled, “Why Automation That Adapts Matters for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Daniel stated that “instead of building a plant where every piece of equipment is wired to do one fixed job, operators can now use flexible components that are configured through software and can be reprogrammed as needs change.”

He added, “In practical terms, this means fewer specialised spare parts sitting idle in a warehouse, fewer months lost waiting for the right imported component to clear customs, and fewer plants running below capacity because a single failed part cannot be replaced quickly.”

Daniel disclosed that users have cut spare parts inventory by up to 70 per cent, significantly reducing costly downtime. Urging local industries to embrace the approach as a direct response to some of the most expensive challenges facing the sector, he noted that Sub-Saharan Africa’s industrial process automation market is projected to grow from $817 million in 2025 to over $1.5 billion by 2030.

“For a region where over 70 per cent of Nigerian firms rely on generators just to keep operations running, and where import delays and currency pressure regularly disrupt maintenance planning, that kind of flexibility is not a luxury,” he said.

Daniel further noted that operators must view automation as an adaptable platform, insisting that “the operators who will lead the next decade are the ones building plants that can adapt, not just the ones building plants to spec.”