Substandard electrical products worsen safety risks in Africa, expert warns
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ali Rabiu, has advocated the adoption and deployment of smart engineering solutions to accelerate Nigeria’s development.
The NSE noted that smart engineering involves the application of advanced technologies and innovative design approaches to create systems, products and structures that are efficient, sustainable and interconnected.
The adoption, it noted, represents a blend of creativity and cutting-edge tools aimed at solving real-world challenges and driving national progress.
The NSE President, Ali Rabiu, while speaking at a forum to mark the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED), themed “Smart Engineering for a Sustainable Future
Through Innovation and Digitalisation,” noted that the theme aligns with Nigeria’s pressing developmental needs.
He urged members of the NSE to generate innovative ideas that can help the government to deliver practical solutions to the lingering insecurity challenges and other socio-economic issues facing the nation.
Rabiu further said that addressing insecurity is crucial to enhancing trade relations with other countries and attracting investments from major global corporations.
Also speaking, the NSE Vice President (Corporate Services), Dr Ben Osita Okoh, observed that the theme of this year’s celebration reminds engineers that the future will increasingly depend on their ability to harness technology, embrace innovation, and apply digital tools in solving complex development challenges.
He further noted that NSE’s participation in the celebration reflects members’ shared commitment to continuous learning, collaboration, and professional growth.
In another development, an energy expert, Ajibola Akindele, has warned that the continuous use of substandard electrical products is worsening safety risks, resulting in loss of billions of dollars and West Africa’s economic future.
He said that unsafe electrical appliances are also increasing the likelihood of fires, shocks and equipment failures in homes and businesses, leading to hundreds of deaths from the incident.
Akindele, who doubles as Country President, Schneider Electric West Africa, expressed the concern during a media chat with journalists at the weekend, where he quoted the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s data from 2021 to 2024, recording 757 electricity-related accidents, 451 fatalities and 351 people injured.
He added that in Lagos, market fires are frequent: 1,000 fire and emergency incidents were recorded in the first half of 2025 and alarmingly, 62 people died while Nigeria loses an estimated $26 billion yearly due to unreliable electricity supply, excluding off-grid fuel costs.
Akindele, however, noted that many of these incidents stem from wire failures, unauthorised connections, vandalism, and unsafe electrical practices.
He, therefore, urged governments, contractors, regulators, and end-users across the region to treat electrical infrastructure quality as a non-negotiable priority, warning that the widespread circulation of lower-quality electrical products is fuelling a silent but deadly crisis.
Besides, he called for greater adherence to safety standards, certified products, and verified distribution channels to reduce accidents and protect lives.
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