Experts Brainstorm On AI, Emerging Technologies For Reliable Power In Nigeria

Experts in the Energy and Power sector have brainstormed on how to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to boost power delivery in Nigeria in order to achieve an energy and power system that will be effective, affordable, sustainable and customer-centric.

This was the focus a two-day 12th edition of the International Conference on Energy and Power Systems Operations and Planning (ICEPSOP 2023) which commenced in Abuja on Monday with the theme “Empowering  Reliable  Power Delivery Using Artificial Intelligence And Emerging Technologies: A case For United States of America and Africa”

Director, Center for Energy Systems and Control, Howard University, Prof James Momoh, in his remarks disclosed that Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies would enhance reliable power delivery in Nigeria if policies are integrated with all the different entities such as regulations.

According to Prof. Momoh, this move has become imperative following the challenges in Nigeria’s electricity grid system, which has been largely epileptic such that about 85 million Nigerians are said to not have access to power, which represents about 43 per cent of its population.

Prof. Momoh added that this challenge in the sector can be addressed through “Resource utilisation, balancing available supply to demand, and protection, as well as control of the electric network, and ultimately, environmental protection.”

He noted that this approach will empower the present grid to be more reliable, sustainable, cost effective and customer eccentric, as well as ensuring that carbon detoxification is achieved.

Prof Momoh said IA will also reduce the depletion of primary energy resources (oil and coal) due to increased utilisation by the transportation sector, adding that AI will also minimise the adverse impacts agricultural practices have made in the escalation of harmful greenhouse gasses.

The former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) noted: “in terms of research, it starts from the policies that are defined by the government,” stressing that the target is to achieve power supply in Nigeria at an affordable price that is resilient to attack.

He explained that professors, academics, researchers  and industrialists have put their heads together to begin to look at different problems that will be solved in the sector.

“Again it now stems from policies to technologies and the role of the regulators, by integrating all the different entities I have just talked about, we believe we can have an improvement in delivery and supplying of electricity in any country.

“The USA and African collaboration that we brought together is to learn from each other, to learn from what the Americans are doing in facing their own challenges, to know what Nigerian challenges are, and see what is appropriate, to exchange ideas and implement plans to put in place”, he said.

Prof Peter Onwualu, in his keynote speech titled “Fostering reliable and affordable power supply in Nigeria using Emerging Technologies” said that since energy and power affects other sector of the economy, major stakeholders of the Nigerian project are unanimous in coming to a conclusion that for the government to succeed in delivery their social contract with the society, they must find sustainable solution the energy and power conundrum in Nigeria.

The conference was attended by industrialists, academics, private sector concerns and government officials.