The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has intensified efforts to advance energy‑efficiency standards in the country, unveiling plans to introduce Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for electric motors. The Agency, in collaboration with the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV) and with technical support from CLASP, held an inception and validation workshop on the new motor standards on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, in Lagos.
Representing SON Director‑General Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, the Head of the Standards Department, Mr. Yunusa Mohammed, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to improving energy efficiency through stricter standards for industrial equipment. He explained that the workshop builds on earlier MEPS for lighting products issued in 2021 and 2024, and forms part of a broader framework to reduce energy waste and support Nigeria’s energy‑transition and climate‑action goals.
Okeke said many Nigerian industries still operate outdated, inefficient equipment, leading to high electricity consumption and elevated production costs. He described electric motors as workhorses of industrial productivity, accounting for a substantial share of electricity use in the sector. Better‑performing motors, he argued, would cut energy waste, reduce operating expenses, and lower greenhouse‑gas emissions, noting global estimates that efficient motors can reduce electricity demand by up to 30 per cent.
The Director‑General disclosed that SON is developing a comprehensive roadmap for standards, implementation, and compliance, with existing MEPS for appliances to be integrated into the fourth phase of the national energy labelling scheme in 2026. Electric motors are expected to be incorporated in subsequent phases to expand efficiency coverage across industrial applications.
Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of SRADeV, welcomed the workshop participants and recalled the organisation’s role in previous MEPS work on lighting, which has helped phase out inefficient lamps and curtail mercury pollution. He said the lighting‑efficiency initiative is projected to save about 2.47 billion dollars in energy costs by 2050. Applying the same logic to motors, he projected that about 8.6 terawatt‑hours of electricity could be consumed by electric motors by 2025, with efficient systems potentially saving 3.34 terawatt‑hours and avoiding 1.7 million tonnes of emissions by 2050.
CLASP Programme Manager, Ms. Angellah Wekongo, highlighted her organisation’s global experience in advancing MEPS, noting that CLASP provides technical support through data analysis, modelling, and capacity building. She said motor‑efficiency standards would ease pressure on the national grid, reduce industrial operating costs, and enhance competitiveness, while also stimulating job creation through efficiency‑driven savings and new green‑technology investments.
The workshop received goodwill messages from several government agencies, including the Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment; Power; and Environment, the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), UNIDO, and GIZ‑Nigeria, underscoring the cross‑sectoral importance of energy‑efficiency reforms in Nigeria’s industrial and environmental agenda.