Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Power Endorses the West African Power Industry Convention as Forum Returns to Lagos in November

Lagos, Nigeria, September 02, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Power has enthusiastically endorsed the West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), taking place at the Eko Hotel in Lagos from 24-25 November. Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Power, Ambassador Dr Godknows B. Igali, says, “The success of the previous event held in 2014 has given the Ministry the confidence to accord the upcoming one the necessary support in that it will avail stakeholders the opportunity to appreciate the gains recorded in the country’s power sector.”

During the 12th edition of this long running, regional conference and expo, WAPIC will once again gather government, utilities, consultants and investors to discuss the challenges of local markets, capacity building and investment.

Ministry proud to be in partnership
According to Ambassador Dr Igali, “the Convention is expected to be a strategic hub for stakeholders looking for collaboration and joint solutions to the region’s biggest challenges.” He adds: “The Ministry is proud to be in partnership for the successful hosting of this year’s event and also commend the organisers for support from corporate bodies and organizations.”

During WAPIC 2014, the former Nigerian Minister of Power, Hon. Chinedu O. Nebo, and Heirs Holdings CEO, Tony O. Elumelu, headed up a high-level selection of speakers from government and the private sector, giving the more than 1300 attending power professionals the latest updates on the Nigerian power industry’s privatisation and other opportunities in the regional energy sphere.

West African Power Industry Awards
Last year also saw the launch of the hugely successful West African Power Industry Awards which were announced at a five-star gala dinner at the event. During the sold-out evening industry pioneers and projects were recognised and celebrated, and the award for Outstanding Woman in Power was presented to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, former Nigerian Power Minister Prof Bart Okechukwu Nnaji was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award while Ughelli Power won for the Power Transaction of the Year.

Awards in seven different categories are up for grabs again this year and the industry can nominate potential candidates, while a high-level industry panel of judges will decide on the final winners. The categories are:
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Excellence in Power Generation
- Excellence in Power Transmission or Distribution
- Power Transaction of the year
- Best Renewable Energy Project
- Best Rural Electrification Project
- Outstanding Woman in Power

Industry support
Once again, WAPIC is enjoying overwhelming support from the industry with the global networking and telecommunications giant, Huawei, having already confirmed that it is returning as the exclusive diamond sponsor.

The WAPIC expo floor will showcase the latest technologies and services for the industry while the free technical workshop programme will offer practical solutions, lessons learnt from case studies and problem-solving mechanisms to assist power companies and utilities in improving their efficiency and productivity.

The West African Power Industry Convention is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. Other flagship power events by Spintelligent are African Utility Week in Cape Town and EAPIC in Nairobi.

WAPIC dates and venue:
Masterclass: 23 November 2015
West African Power Industry Awards: 24 November 2015
Strategic Conference days: 24-25 November 2015
Expo: 24-25 November 2015
Site visits: 26 November 2015
Venue: Eko Hotel & Suits, Lagos, Nigeria