‘Local Engineering Capability Critical To West Africa’s Industrial Growth’

The country president of Schneider Electric West Africa, Ajibola Akindele, has emphasised the need for stronger local engineering capability to support industrial growth and competitiveness across West Africa.

Akindele stated this during a training programme organised by Schneider Electric West Africa, themed “Schneider Learning Series: MoMARATHON – Level Up Your Motor Protection Knowledge,” which focused on modern motor management systems and intelligent industrial operations.

According to him, while discussions around industrial development in West Africa often focus on energy generation, transmission infrastructure, financing and policy reforms, industrial competitiveness is also determined by operational efficiency at the equipment level.

He noted that electric motor systems play a critical role in industrial operations, powering pumps, compressors, conveyors, ventilation systems, refrigeration units and other production processes. He added that how effectively these systems are managed increasingly determines energy efficiency, reliability and cost performance.

“Industrial systems are becoming more connected, more data-driven and more efficiency-focused. Developing local engineering capability is critical if West Africa wants to build industries that are competitive, resilient and prepared for the future,” he said.

Akindele explained that engineers participating in the programme received training on configuring, protecting, monitoring and optimising industrial motor systems used across manufacturing plants, commercial buildings and industrial facilities.

He noted that infrastructure investment alone would not guarantee industrial growth, stressing that technical expertise is equally important in ensuring the effective operation and maintenance of industrial systems.

According to the International Energy Agency’s Electric Motor Systems Platform, electric motor systems account for about 53 per cent of global electricity consumption and nearly 72 per cent of electricity use in industrial environments.

Despite their importance to industrial productivity and energy efficiency, Akindele said technical expertise in motor management remains uneven across many emerging markets, creating challenges as manufacturers seek to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime and manage rising energy costs.

The training programme exposed participants to modern approaches in motor management, including digital monitoring, intelligent control systems, fault prevention, real-time diagnostics, system configuration and industrial integration tools.

He said the initiative reflects growing recognition that industrial development depends not only on physical infrastructure but also on the human capacity required to sustain industrial operations.

Akindele further noted that West Africa’s industrial expansion is being driven by urbanisation, digitisation and rising energy demand, while global electricity consumption is expected to increase significantly due to artificial intelligence, industrial digitisation, electrification and expanding data centre infrastructure.

He added that Schneider Electric’s training programmes are part of broader efforts to support industrial development through technology deployment and technical capacity building.

Nigeria’s National Industrial Policy targets raising manufacturing’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to between 20 and 25 per cent by 2030. However, manufacturing currently contributes less than 10 per cent to GDP, underscoring the need for skilled engineers capable of designing and managing efficient, reliable and sustainable industrial systems.