As the 2024 edition of the Power, Water, and Internet of Things (IoT) Exhibition ended in Lagos on Thursday, participants agreed that the show is a catalyst for a renaissance in the energy sector within the West Africa region. The three-day event, held at the Landmark Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, featured a “Way Forward” conference attended by over 50 industry leaders.
Some participants shared their insights with the media. Dr Bala Tyoden, Assistant Director of the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria, commended the exhibition for bringing together players from different sectors to collaborate and share expertise. He urged the organisers to continue expanding the event annually. “Nigeria faces significant challenges in the areas of water and power. This exhibition is a great eye-opener for stakeholders, and I hope they all key into it,” Dr Tyoden said.
“There is a huge connection between energy, water, and consumption, and this forum brings together the stakeholders who will be willing and eager to contribute to national development. I am talking of private sector players. So this forum is a big platform to leverage on,” Dr Tyoden added.
Olajide Aminu Ibrahim, the Country Sales Manager of Huawei, highlighted the potential for stimulating growth in the power sector through renewable energy. “Nigerians must embrace renewable energy. That is the way to go; in my house, my children never experience power outages because we use solar. If we want to improve this economy, we have to consider off-grid energy. We aren’t paying for the sun, so why can’t we tap into it as a source of energy for us? This exhibition is not only timely but important to the growth of the industry,” he said.
Shitij Taneja, the Managing Director of Vertex Group, the firm organising the show, emphasized the importance of exploring greener, more sustainable sources of energy given the challenges associated with power supply and distribution in Nigeria. “There are a lot of investors that come into this exhibition, especially from the technology and energy sectors. It is also about how to deploy solar effectively. This exhibition covers everything from energy backup at homes to the importance of renewable energy generally,” Taneja said.
“Within the technology sector, about seventy billion dollars has been invested in startups in Africa in the last year, and that is a challenge to bridge the gap as soon as possible. In the energy sector, it is also a substantial figure. Nigeria has the population, and this exhibition will be of huge importance to the country with over 75 exhibitors from solar, clean energy, energy efficiency, and water. It is a mixture of energy stakeholders here. There are also players in the water sector here, and it is a very large exhibition right now,” Taneja continued.
“We have put this programme together to explore the benefits of technology and other related value chains. We switch on energy-saving devices that will provide effective use of power,” Taneja concluded.
