Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital is set to host the African Engineering Conference on Energy which is at the instance of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), in collaboration with the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO) and UNESCO. This will mark the Annual General Meeting of the NSE and UNESCO African Engineering Week. The conference, with the theme; “Adequate, Reliable and Sustainable Energy in Africa,” will open on November 21, at Tropicana Conference Centre, and end on November 25, 2016.
The conference would bring together local and international energy sector experts to brainstorm, interact, share experiences and ideas on strategies to confront the problems, and come up with feasible, economically viable and sustainable solutions. There are thirteen sub-themes for the conference, which include: Energy Resources Exploration, Exploitation and Development; Energy Conversion Technology; Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution; Energy Utilisation System; Energy Storage and Transportation; The Economics of Energy.
Speaking on the upcoming event, Engr. Etido Inyang, who is Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and Co-chair of the Central Planning Committee (CPC), said the conference is aimed at drawing attention to the challenges facing Africa’s energy sector and to consider adequate, reliable and sustainable development of this sector of human existence and wellbeing. Inyang, who is Akwa Ibom’s immediate-past Commissioner for Special Duties stated that with this objective in mind, the NSE virtually want to force it to happen. “It is why Nigeria, as the biggest country in the continent should be able to attract the world to be able to discuss the challenges, way forward, and look at the best practices in the industry”.
On whether participants are expected from outside Africa, he said the event is a local and international energy summit, and that the aspect of Africa is to actually solve the problem in Africa. “This does not mean that we have all the knowledge and we are not depending of Africans alone in this regard. We are looking at corporate organizations and individuals, internationally, that have been able to proffer solutions to other continents. There will be meaningful discourse, rewarding plenary sessions and at the end, a communiqué will be drawn up for the way forward for Nigeria’s energy sector and Africa as a whole”.
The LOC chairman explained that the choice of Akwa Ibom as host state for the conference can be attributed to her infrastructural renaissance which is blessed with great engineering features. “The AGM and international conference of this nature is no mean feat. Long ago in 2013, evaluators from the Council (NSE) came to evaluate Akwa Ibom. Actually, we had applied; a couple of us did. In the end, the Council visited and saw that the state is doing well in engineering features. This attracted them to agree that Akwa Ibom was the place to go. And here, it is happening!
On the general assertion of Africa as a poverty continent and the possibilities of energy in a re-narrative for Africa, Engr. Inyang described energy as the catalyst for the development of any nation. According to him, wherever the idea of industrialization is muted, it cannot be successfully realized without adequate energy. “If the country gets it right in the energy sector, then ten years, twenty years, we will definitely close huge gaps against the developed countries. This is my projection. But if we are still where we are today, only God knows when we will come out of this. This is why the NSE is coming up strongly to tackle it”.
Expected during the five day conference are the Secretary to Federal Government, federal ministers, governors and deputy governors, and captains of industries in the power sector. Akwa Ibom State Governor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, will grace the event as chief host.
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