14th December, 2023
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says by implementing the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), Nigeria will save an estimated N500 billion.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday at an awareness workshop on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) with the theme ‘Promoting energy efficiency and non-toxic lighting through MEPPS compliance’.
Represented by the Director, Laboratory Services of SON, Adewunmi Richards, the Director General emphasized, “Nigeria will save about 387 megawatts of power which is estimated at about half a billion dollars by implementing the MEPS as the world gradually shifts to clean energy.”
He explained that the MEPS are regulations that set a minimum level of energy efficiency that a product must meet to be sold in the market, adding that the standards are crucial in reducing energy consumption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting a sustainable future.
The standards apply to a wide range of products, according to him, from appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and televisions to vehicles and building materials.
He further explained that by setting minimum energy efficiency requirements for the products, governments ensure that only energy-efficient options are available in the market.
Dr Leslie Adogame, Executive Director at Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) Nigeria, had earlier in her remarks, said the NGO is willing to partner with the SON regulation of the lighting products containing mercury in line with the clean energy drive of the federal government.