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Ensuring Compliance with industry Standard is the Key to Engineering Success… Abdulrahman Lawal Rikiji

My greatest strength is my computer modeling skills. I can learn to work with new tools, new software quickly, without a need to read a tutorial or a guide. I can work fast, without making mistakes.

CCD: Can you tell us briefly about yourself?

ALR: My name is Abdulrahman Lawal Rikiji, a graduate of Electronics and Electrical Engineering from University of Sunderland. I am currently working at Kaduna Electric in the Engineering and Technical Service Department, under the Network Planning and Projects Unit. I was recently deployed from the Head Office to Zamfara Regional Office as the Team Lead, Network Planning and Projects.

CCD: When did you join Kaduna Electric and what is your primary responsibility? 

ALR: I joined the Company on the 1^st of September 2015 as a Management Trainee II under Engineering and Technical Service Department. Primarily as a team, we carry out inspections of new projects to ensure compliance with the company standards and I also managed asset register of the Regional Office.

CCD: One of the major challenges confronting the Company now is its inability to fully account for the energy received, what do you think can be done to improve the situation?

ALR: I think no single solution can do away with poor revenue to energy ratio, but the most important step in ensuring accountability of energy is for the Company to know, identify and register all its customers. I do believe that by setting up a more robust, sustainable and credible customers engagement platform, with a responsive 2-way communication process between the customers and the Company, there will be ease of resolving issues and complaints, and the customers will feel cared for and this will prompt a rapid response by the customers to perform their obligation towards the Company.

CCD: We want to know more about your responsibility and the value you add to the Company?

ALR: Like I said earlier, our primarily responsibility as a team is to carry out inspections of new projects to ensure compliance with the Company’s standards and also planning of network with respect to future development and expansion. Evaluates and recommends changes to current and future network, determine and recommended where additional capacity is needed to meet the energy requirements of the customers as well as adding value to the Company's assets.

CCD: Network planning is one Unit of the Engineering and Technical Service Department, what is your relationship with other units of your department and how do you work as a team?

ALR: Well… working together with other units of the department is a necessity; like when it comes to commissioning of new projects, we work hand in hand with the Protection and Testing Unit, and in most cases, network inspection requires working with technical line managers.

CCD: What do you sincerely feel is your weakness in terms of your job?

ALR: Well… in truth, average communication skills are my weakness. I don’t have a lot of experience speaking in front of a large group and I still get a bit nervous when asked to make presentation. Though not easy, I try to improve my skills.

CCD: What are your strength?

ALR: Umm… well sincerely speaking I am a detail oriented person, with observational skills and time management skills but one of my greatest strengths that I like to talk about is my computer modeling skills. I can learn to work with new tools, new software quickly, without a need to read a tutorial or a guide. I can work fast, without making mistakes.

CCD: Any appeal or suggestion to staff and management?

ALR: I think looking at the current situation, public enlightenment will go a long way in improving the current situation of the company.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Accurate Billing is the First Step to Successful Marketing_ Bashar Muhammad Gado

CCD: Please can you briefly tell us about yourself?

BMG: Yes, my name is Bashar Muhammad Gado, I am a Customer Service Representative. I am currently assigned to Argungu 33KV feeder.

CCD: What are your Primary Roles?

BMG: My Primary role as a Customer Service Representatives is to market the Company’s product (electricity) within my cluster. In doing that, I also provide the customers with valuable information regarding our services, address customers’ complaints and respond to inquiries. Above all, I ensure that all electricity users within my cluster are documented and pay their bills as at when due.

CCD: How do you manage your customers at Argungu 33KV Feeder?

BMG: Argungu 33KV Feeder is the longest and widest 33kv feeder in Kebbi Area Office and most of the customers are from rural areas but, I apply about three strategies to manage the customers:

Reduce Response Time: Good communication is vital and customers hate waiting. It’s not possible to solve every problem immediately, but customers don’t expect that from you, what they do expect is for you to give them some kind of quick magical response all times. As such, I ensure that I respond to customers’ complaint/enquiry as quick as humanly possible.

Have Information On Your Fingertip: When I receive a customer request, I will of course, put all effort to resolve it as quick as I can and preferably, in the first reply. But the hard truth is that not all customer’s request can be resolved straight away. They can be complex and require several follow-ups. The goal here is to reduce the number of theses follows- up.

I Make Sure The Request Ends Up In The Right Hands: Another way I manage my workflow and solve customers’ request with speed and accuracy is to make sure that they come up not only at right time, but also get into the right hands. I am going to give you a familiar scenario: you receive a request and you are not quite sure how to solve it as you do not have the knowledge or information you need to respond. The best to do is think fast to find out who amongst other colleagues can help resolve it, while your customer is out there waiting for you to come up with solution. It’s impossible to know everything. What you can do though, is make sure that the request goes straight to someone who knows how to solve an issue.  

CCD: You Have Recently Seat for Job Knowledge Quiz (JKQ) can you share with us lessons learned?

BMG: I have learned a lot from JKQ test because it actually helped know my deficiencies, thus prompted me to acquire more knowledge to prepare myself for the future. It encouraged me especially when the result were released. It is a great achievement. 

CCD: How does your role add value to Kaduna Electric?

BMG: I always put my job first, so no doubt as far as I in particular am concern, my role as CSR will add value to Kaduna Electric. I deal with Kaduna Electric customers selflessly and accurately. For example, I can never ever try mistaking a customer on C1 class for R1. So every customer shall be on appropriate tariff class, every electricity user is billed accurately and every customer billed respond to payment. And I always ensure our customers are given the best customers’ service.   

CCD: How Can we improve our customers’ loyalty/positive response?

BMG: We can improve through quick response to customers’ complaints/enquiries, ensure more efficiency in service delivery, intensify awareness campaign and customers’ engagement. For example, using our Facebook page and other social media platforms as a means of educating people, constant staff training to mention these few.

CCD: Do you have any advice to the Management of Kaduna Electric?

BMG: Yes, AlhamdulilLahi Kaduna Electric have done well so far by providing almost 80% of the materials we use like Ladders, Kits for Engineers, Vehicles, cell phones for metering, laptops for other departments, but should do more on staff training and capacity building, this will be a good improvement for our staff.

CCD: In every work environment/situation, there are some challenges, what are the challenges you have encountered or being encountered?

BMG: I actually do have some challenges as I am dealing with customers, some are rude and hostile towards me; some of my colleagues have had similar experience, but I am use to it by now and know my ways of dealing with any type of customers to make them paying customers.

CCD: How can you curtail such customers’ hostilities?

BMG: We need the Company’s support/encouragement; we need to be provided with all necessary working materials like laptops and others. Sometimes the use of direct radio communication gadgets e.g. Walkie-Talkies might be of great importance.

CCD: In your on view, what is the problematic issue in commercial services department?

BMG: Billing issues

CCD: How can we solve such problem?

BMG: The Billing staff should be re-trained and at the same time liaise with AO offices to have comprehensive and accurate database for all the customers in order to put them in correct tariff class.

CCD: How do you spend your leisure time?

BMG: I usually spend my leisure time with family and friends, with my Computer and do some exercise for my health.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

CUSTOMERS MUST HELP EXPOSE VANDALS

CCD: Ahmed Haliru Argungu tell us a bit about yourself?
AHA: Yes, you got my name correctly.I was born and brought up in Argungu Local Government, of Kebbi State. I have NCE in Physics at Adamu Augie College of Education Argungu and BSc. Physics at Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto. I work with state universal Basic Education Board Kebbi State before I joined Kaduna Electric on the 1st of September 2015 as a sales representative and currently the Lodge Feeder Manager.

CCD: What is your primary assignment as the Lodge Feeder Manager?
AHA:  My Primary assignment is steering the activities of the feeder. this include supervising the marketing, Engineering and other units under my feeder with the sole objective of ensuring a 100% revenue collection in Lodge Road Service Center and ensure that customers complaints are resolved within shortest possible time.

CCD: Recently your feeder win three trophies Reward and Recognition 2018 how do you achieve?
AHA: Yes, first and foremost commitment, dedication and team work are secret of our success. I believe in team work and I am very lucky to have team players that we are like a family and we work very hard to ensure that we meet our target.t secondly we have a good relationship with our customers and a happy customer is a paying customer; giving our customers quality energy will capture and retain them. We also regard highly improved services to our customers.

CCD: What are your daily routine schedules like?
AHA: The average day starts with monitoring the power status of the electricity distributed in the feeder, the cash collection figures for the previous day and cumulative for the month. As the need arise, holding meeting with my sales reps on daily basis from 8-8.15AM to discuss issues affecting the feeder and to provide solutions that will move the feeder forward in terms of fault resolution and revenue collection.

CCD: What do you consider as your greatest challenge?
AHA: Well, the challenges are numerous but we have been able to satisfy all categories of customers to the best of our ability; trying to convince customers that we are making all efforts to improve our service delivery and also trying as much as possible to eliminate the possibility of by-passing through regular monitoring 85 percent of my customers are metered only 15 percent are postpaid customers we are doing our best to ensure that our revenue has improved and our customers are satisfied

CCD:  Yes you have reminded us of the ugly incidence of vandalism across the State. Who do you think is responsible for these cases of vandalism?
AHA: Everybody is responsible. Because a responsible Nigerian should report these people but they do not care. And if there is no light everyone will start complaining. However, we need to be conscious of our environment. We have to protect the company's installation. We need to volunteer information to security operatives to help track these hoodlums. They are our friends, brothers and relations. They are alive and living with us. So we must fish them out for the system to improve further.

CCD:  Can we have your last word to the staff?
AHA: I urge all of us to be committed and re-double our efforts in making our company the best throughout the eleven distribution company. It is also important to uphold standard practice in the industry as this will make us unique among other companies.

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Technology Will Address the Menace of Vandalism

  

CCD: Usman Ismail Abdullahi, give us an insight in to your background?

USA: I was born and raised in Kano, I attended Science College, Dawakin Tofa. I have a degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and a Master's in Electrical Engineering. 

I worked with Royal Haskoning Engineering as a Technical Support Manager before joining Kaduna Electric in 2015. My Area of interest is Control and Automation. I am now the Head, Group Emerging Technology in Engineering.

CCD: How about your journey to Kaduna Electric?

USA: I started working as linesman in Gonin Gora Service Centre where we were saddled with responsibility of managing 11KV Federal Housing and 33KV Gonin Gora Feeder.

My performance caught the attention of the management and I was transferred to Head Office as a Network Design Engineer. My key responsibilities then were network design and feasibility studies for new projects and their commercial benefits. 

CCD: What has been your experience since becoming Network Design Engineer?

USA: Well let me start by saying I am pleased to have this group under my watch because like I said earlier my interest lies in control and automation. I believe with the recent reassignment my team and I will give our best to the company. I am certain that in a very short term we will reposition the Engineering Department through Control and Automations. 

CCD: A lot of people still don't understand what Emerging Technology in Engineering is; can you shed more light on this?

USA: Emerging technology comprises technical ideas, which represent progressive developments in engineering department. To put it simply, we look at advanced technology in a broader view and relate that technology with our business for a competitive advantage. If you look at it, you will understand that outdated systems dominated our operations and therefore we need to do more to overcome these challenges by deploying digital technologies into our networks so as to decrease the complexity of our network and operations. 

CCD: What are your plans in your new position? 

USA: When we look at what we do, you would realize that data collection is very critical to our business. Properly shared and detailed data has the potential to improve our services on several dimensions, such as improving services through better access to more information when making critical decisions in the business. 

Currently, a lot of valuable information is missing along the way in the process of collecting data therefore our plan is to see that we bridge these gaps by deploying remote control and automation systems to our networks to allow real-time operation of the network and its connected resources and collect network data to improve situational awareness and utility services. 

Secondly, the way vandalism and asset theft are growing is disturbing and, of course they are causing a serious set back to our business. Relying on community and security agencies to notify us has not worked; that is where technology comes to the rescue. We have a plan to design security surveillance devices that will protect our assets wherever they are located.

CCD: Where do you see yourself in a few years down the line?

USA: I see myself in a couple of years as a successful engineer who would be proud to be part of Kaduna Electric transformation despite all the current challenges. 

CCD: What do you think we can do for the growth of the company?

USA: We all have the resources to make Kaduna Electric better but all that is missing is the right attitude. We should have a paradigm shift, where we take the ownership of the company and see ourselves as part owners. My advice is to ensure that all hands must be on deck to see that we reposition Kaduna Electric from a revenue bleeding company to revenue generating company.

CCD: What would consider your greatest achievement so far? 

USA: As at now, we are about reviving the remote operation of our injection substations in NAF Base, Narayi and Gonin Gora and in a short time we are going to have them as a model for the rest of the substations. 

MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Meeting Our Target Is Hinged on Strong Customer Relationships

CCD: Mohammad Shehu Turaki, tell us more about yourself.

MS: I have B.A in Business Economics, a BSc Multimedia Technology and a Masters in Banking and Finance (MBF). I am a chattered member of the Institute of Loan and Risk Management. I also have a Conflict Management Certificate and a Security Industry Certificate. I am a very friendly and an open-minded type of person. My hubbies are exercising and keeping fit! 

CCD: Tell us about your role in the Maximum Demand (MD) Unit?

MS: I have been in the MD Unit otherwise known as the Premium Unit since October 2017. My role then was primarily MD meter readings, Bill distribution, reconciliation and collection, and customer relation. But now, I am at the Unit's Finance and Accounts Reconciliation desk, reconciling customers' payments and correction of wrong crediting or wrong bill information. 

CCD: What would you consider your major achievement? 

MS: When I joined in 2015 as a Sales Representative in Hayin Banki Service Center, I was allocated 3 transformers with a customer population of a little above 300. I was able to enumerate and increase the customer base to 880 and to realize the sum of N700,000 in just 2months.  

CCD: How prepared is the MD unit in meeting the 2 billion-Naira target?

MS: The unit works together as a team and in collaboration with different units and departments. The unit has made it a point of duty to concentrate more efforts towards building and strengthening our relationship with our esteemed customers because without them we would not get close to achieving the set target. By putting the customer first, making them feel like kings, gradually we will get to the 2-billion-Naira mark.

CCD: Has there been any increase in revenue from the MD Unit since the new target was announced?

MS: Yes! The unit has always been on its toes to improve the collection even before the set target. The set target is just an additional objective to the existing effort made to increase collection. We have recorded an increase of 17.99% growth in the unit since the target was announced.

CCD: In your opinion, what do you think can be done to enhance the growth of the company?

MS: As employees, we have to be alive to our responsibilities by being diligent. Our primary concern should be on how to create and innovate in other to improve the success of the company. If the company succeeds, we will be hailed and we will also take the credit and if it doesn't then we will be affected adversely. 

CCD: The metering exercise is still on going. What is your take on this?

MS: I think it is a welcome development to meter all the customers; this is even more important because it is in line with regulatory requirements especially to new customers. Now, the next important aspect of metering is monitoring to ensure that we stamp out energy theft.

CCD: Do you prefer to work on your own or as part of a team? 

MS: Yes, I prefer to work in a team. I am a member of my team and I love working collectively with my team members to achieve more. It also pleases customers to know that they have a capable team to work with. It promotes the sense of achievement, equity, and camaraderie, essential for a motivated workplace. Teamwork is a great way to work.