Government urged to intensify embedded power plants penetration

To increase access of Nigerians to electricity, operators in the power generation segment have urged the Federal Government to intensify the penetration of embedded power plants in the country. Embedded generation can be described as the small scale production of power connected within the electricity distribution network, located close to the place of consumption.

The Managing Director, Cummins West Africa Limited, Ade Obatoyinbo, stated that deploying the use of embedded power plant will help to solve Nigeria’s power issues. He advised that instead of the Federal Government’s plan to use the 450 megawatts combined cycle power to generate power in central places, smaller power plants of 2 to 20 megawatts could be deployed in strategic locations to electrify the country sustainably and effectively.

The Managing Director at a press briefing to celebrate its 100 years of successful business globally, said, “I am very keen for centralised power to be provided. I want the generator business to even shrink in Nigeria. The 15 different segments where we operate and where we make the most money have 100 percent power supply. We are keen to make Nigeria more sustainable from a power perspective.”

Also, the Executive Managing Director, Africa, Middle East, Thierry Pimi, said the company’s vision is to improve lives of people by powering a more prosperous world, saying that the company powers about 40 different applications with its engines which ranges from power generation, which is its biggest market in Nigeria, Africa and the middle east, to commercial vehicle transportation, construction and mining.

He said the company’s vision and mission are hinged on five core values which include integrity, diversity and inclusion, caring, excellence and teamwork.”We are simply today, the world’s largest diesel and natural gas engine manufacturer and available across over 190 countries across the world with a manufacturing footprint in most parts of the world. We have assembly lines in Africa in the future, but we have ambition in the long term when things are right, to bring some manufacturing capabilities to Africa,” he added.

“We have about 62000 employees across the world out of which about 2000 are in Africa and in the Middle East. We are also among the largest 128 US companies by revenue. Our 2018 revenue was about $3.8 billion. We are a very healthy company and we are leading the market through technology, innovation and people,” he averred.He said Nigeria is not immune to issues of corruption discouraging local and foreign investments, but added that the company has been able to build honest and transparent relationships going forward.

“Do we lose business in Nigeria due to corruption? The answer is yes, but however we have learnt to built relationships which are very honest and transparent. We believe in selling the value of our products and most times when we engage with our partners and clients, we educate and enlighten them on the peace of mind that the Cummins products actually offer and sometimes we are able to change their mindsets, but we do not give up easily, we keep pushing and we keep letting them know that beyond what you are asking for, there is a longer benefit to buying the company’s products,” he stressed.

He said Nigeria is becoming a more honest country where people, organisations and leaders do things the right way, while also restating the firm’s commitment to educate and enlighten the business community.

“We empower our staff to make the right decisions and we hold them accountable to live up to our values. Corruption is not a Nigerian problem, but a global problem. There are countries where we have actually pulled out of the entire country because we could not do business. Sometimes it is because of corruption while other times it is about values, activities going on. We have equipped our employees with the authority to know how to stand for what is right and also to educate and build relationships,” he noted.