By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The newly inducted 27 young engineers, who successfully completed the Graduate Engineering Programme of Egbin Power Plc, have been charged to remain focused and make the best use of the opportunity by continually exploring innovative ways to make an impact in the organisation.
The Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Mr Kola Adesina, while congratulating the inductees, assured that Sahara Group would continue to invest in its human capital development to create a pipeline for the kind of leadership needed for future growth and development of the industry.
He noted that investment in new technology, expansion initiatives and innovative achievements at Egbin Power Plc requires a corresponding human capital profile to ensure optimal performance and profitability of the plant.
Mr Adesina described the graduate scheme as a critical intervention in building the capacity of technical manpower with requisite skills for infrastructural and human capital development of the power sector.
“Employment has been a challenge in this country, so this initiative helps us bring in more young people into the business and equip them to add value.
“We are looking to bring in value-adding personalities continually, and we have no doubt that these crop of young talents will add value to our asset and ultimately assist in resolving the power challenges we have been experiencing in the last 63 years,” he said.
The programme aligns with the commitment of the firm to drive human capital development in the power sector sustainably.
The 2022 graduates were the third batch of Egbin Power’s engineering trainee programme. The 12-month comprehensive developmental programme, run in collaboration with Energy Training Centre (ETC), is an immersive and experiential learning experience for selected young engineers, focusing on processes, procedures, and operations of the Nigerian Electricity Supply industry.
It involves a blend of learning approaches; instructor-led classroom sessions, virtual sessions, and field practical sessions to ensure effective learning transfer as well as improve their capacity and practical field experience.
Speaking on the initiative, the chief executive of Egbin Power, Mr Mokhtar Bounour, noted that investment in people is the key to success in any organization and reiterated the commitment of the company to provide all the support the young Engineers require to make a difference. He also tasked them to ensure that they always push the limits and always remain innovative.
“We are very proud of the progress our trainees have made, and we believe that they are now well-equipped to make significant contributions to the power sector.
“These are the future leaders, and they deserve to be supported. We believe in them, and we are counting on them to make a difference in bringing energy to life,” Mr Bounour said.
The facilitator of the programme and Managing Director of Energy Training Centre (ETC), Ms Ibiene Okeleke, said the learning academy gave the trainees access to top-notch learning facilities and curriculum delivered by a faculty of subject matter experts.
“As one of Nigeria’s foremost learning institutions, these young graduate Engineers under our tutelage have gained extensive knowledge of the power sector. We look forward to seeing them solve the power challenges we face as a nation,” she stated.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Eseoghene Agbadudu, said, “It is a fulfilment and an achievement for me; I am really excited to be part of this programme. We had the opportunity to be exposed to both the Technical and Commercial aspects of the Power Sector. So, I hope to put all these learnings into play at Egbin Power in bringing innovative ideas that can help improve the power sector.”
The programme is a key component of the company’s strategy to develop the next generation of competent and reliable professionals who are groomed with a broader perspective and also exposed to the entire Energy Value Chain, as well as driving the company’s vision of being the provider of choice wherever energy is consumed.
