Nigerian Power Execs Visit U.S. to Gather Info, Ideas on Smart Grids

---

Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Following the privatization of power distribution companies in Nigeria, senior executives from four Nigerian power companies--Abuja, Benin, Eko and OIjeka--will take part in a reverse trade mission (RTM) to the U.S. The RTM is from October 15 to 25 and is sponsored by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

The senior decision makers will come from Nigeria's newly privatized distribution companies and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. A commercial representative from the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, also will attend.

The ongoing privatization of 11 distribution companies in Nigeria is part of the government's power-sector reform roadmap. The sector is being overhauled to accelerate the expansion of power supply and improve service delivery, revenue recovery and efficiency across the power-sector value chain.

The RTM will show Nigerian delegates U.S. technologies, equipment, services, policies, regulations, financing mechanisms and management structures that can support the implementation of smart-grid infrastructure in Nigeria's power distribution companies.

"The expected growth in Nigeria's power sector is creating unprecedented opportunities for U.S. firms," said Paul Marin, USDTA's regional director for sub-Saharan Africa.

For related information, see August 21, 2013, article - Almost 400 Companies Bid for 10 Nigerian Power Plants.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.