Schneider Electric West Africa has emphasized the urgent need for increased investment in engineering skills across West Africa as industries become more interconnected, data-driven, and focused on efficiency. The company noted that developing local technical expertise is essential for building competitive and resilient industrial systems in the region's next growth phase.
This call follows a training program where the company educated engineers on intelligent motor management systems, aiming to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and manage rising energy costs in the region's manufacturing and industrial sectors. The training, titled "Schneider Learning Series: MoMARATHON – Level Up Your Motor Protection Knowledge," covered modern approaches to configuring, protecting, monitoring, and optimizing industrial motor systems used in manufacturing plants, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities.
Participants received instruction on motor protection principles, fault prevention, real-time diagnostics, system configuration, digital monitoring technologies, and intelligent control systems for modern industrial operations.
Importance of Local Expertise
Speaking at the program, Ajibola Akindele, Country President of Schneider Electric West Africa, stressed that developing local engineering capability is vital for building competitive and resilient industries across the region. According to the International Energy Agency’s Electric Motor Systems Platform, electric motor systems account for approximately 53 percent of global electricity consumption and nearly 72 percent of electricity use in industrial environments. Despite their central role in industrial productivity, energy efficiency, and operational reliability, technical expertise in motor management remains uneven across many emerging markets.
Akindele emphasized that the focus on capability development reflects a broader reality shaping industrial growth in the region. He added: "Infrastructure investment alone is not sufficient. The effectiveness of industrial systems increasingly depends on the depth of technical expertise available to operate and maintain them."
He further noted that technical training programs like this highlight the growing recognition that industrial growth depends not only on physical infrastructure but also on the human systems required to sustain it. Across manufacturing, utilities, infrastructure, and processing industries, capability is becoming as critical as capacity.
