Advisory services provided by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are becoming essential for West Africa’s critical infrastructure, Schneider Electric’s Nnadozie Ogbuehi has said, urging organisations to move from reactive maintenance to predictive, data driven asset management.

In a statement, Ogbuehi, Vice President for Services, SSA at Schneider Electric, argued that ageing infrastructure, skills shortages and energy constraints across the region make visibility into asset performance and risk a strategic priority.

“In West Africa, these challenges are further compounded by infrastructure variability, grid instability, and limited access to specialised technical skills, making proactive, data-driven decision-making even more critical,” he added.

He emphasised that for organisations to remain competitive, they must move beyond reactive maintenance approaches towards insight-led strategies that provide visibility into asset performance, risks, and optimisation opportunities.

He said advisory teams combine deep technical expertise with advanced analytics to identify hidden risks.

Uncover performance gaps, and prioritise interventions that deliver the greatest operational impact.

Ogbuehi highlighted sectors where reliability is especially critical such as data centres, mining and manufacturing, healthcare, and oil and gas, noting that downtime and inefficiency in these areas carry high safety and economic costs

He said: “In the growing data centre market across West Africa, where demand for cloud services and digital infrastructure continues to rise, operators require maximum availability and optimised energy performance to remain competitive.

“In mining and manufacturing, where productivity and asset longevity are closely linked, advisory insights help balance operational output with safety, energy efficiency, and equipment reliability, while reducing unnecessary operational risks.

“In healthcare, where infrastructure failure can directly impact patient outcomes, proactive asset monitoring and lifecycle planning are mission critical. Similarly, in oil and gas and other energy-intensive industries, organisations rely on robust infrastructure strategies to ensure safe, efficient, and sustainable operations.”

He made the case for OEM-led advisory services, arguing that it brings original design knowledge, proprietary data, and full lifecycle expertise, enabling more accurate diagnostics and more reliable recommendations unlike third-party providers.

According to him, “This unique combination of engineering insight, digital capability, and field experience allows organisations to make informed decisions that enhance safety, reliability, and long-term performance.”

He further noted that advisory and consulting services will play a critical role in shaping West Africa’s journey towards more sustainable, resilient, and efficient infrastructure.

“In a region where reliability, efficiency, and resilience are critical enablers of growth, organisations that transform infrastructure insight into action will not only reduce risk but define the next phase of industrial and digital leadership in West Africa,” he concluded.