The Nigerian National Technical Committee on Electrical and Electronics has recommended 12 systems standards for renewable energy and hybrid systems.
The standards according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria were carefully considered and found relevant to the nation’s needs.
The statement from SON said the decision to adopt the standards was reached at the end of a two-day meeting in Lagos by the Technical Committee led by its Chairman, Ayodele Esan.
In the statement the Director-General, SON, Osita Aboloma, said the rising demand for energy in urban and rural areas had necessitated greater emphasis on standardisation and conformity assessment in the electrical and electronic sectors.
He said based on the mandate of SON, priority is placed on safety, quality of products and services, value for money, sustainability of the environment, poverty reduction and value addition.
This, he noted, would only be achieved with standardisation.
He commended the support of the International Financial Corporation, through its Lighting Africa/Lighting Global initiatives for the development and implementation of the considered standards throughout the African continent.
In addition to coordinating standardisation of the electrical and electronics industry, he said SON also provides the necessary infrastructure, test equipment and building of technical capacity in collaboration with the IFC/African Clean Energy and other development partners.
The SON boss urged producers, importers, and exporters of electrical and electronics products to assist in sanitizing the Nigerian market of sub-standard products.
This, he noted, would help to boost the nation’s trade across borders in view of the planned implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
According to him, the implementation and enforcement of the recommended standards, after approval by the SON Council must be such that products that do not meet the required standards will not be produced in, nor allowed into Nigeria.
Stakeholders who participated in the standards adoption process include from the Nigerian National Committee on IEC, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Solar Energy Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Others are the Nigeria Society of Engineers, National Center for Energy Efficiency and Conservation, and SunKing Green Light.