MEET THE STAFF SERIES

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.