This development marks a significant step in Schneider Electric’s commitment to Africa’s economic growth, by empowering individuals, communities and industries with sustainable energy solutions.
The new facility, strategically located in Lagos will serve as a central hub for Schneider Electric’s operations in Nigeria and the broader West African market.
Present at the office launch were Ajibola Akindele MFR, country president, Schneider Electric, West Africa; Laurent Favier, consul general of France in Nigeria; Abiola Kosegbe, permanent secretary Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Lagos State; Walid Sheta, zone president, Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa; Devan Pillay, cluster president, Schneider Electric’s Anglophone Africa; Omobolanle Omotayo, marketing and communications manager, Schneider Electric, Anglophone West Africa, partners, media representatives, amongst others.
Speaking at the launch, Ajibola Akindele, country president of Schneider Electric West Africa, outlined Schneider Electric’s operations and continuous commitment to contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth and job creation through strategic local partnerships.
“At Schneider Electric, we drive economic growth and foster job creation in Nigeria and across West Africa. Over the 19 years we spent in Tunde Gafar Street, we have expanded from 40 employees to 250 employees, supporting critical sectors such as power, oil and gas, food and beverage, the consumer-packaged goods market, and the building segment,” Akindele said.
This new facility will not only service countries across the West African market but also serve as a hub to showcase our capabilities, innovation, and problem-solving expertise.
“In Nigeria, we have over 300 partners, including distributors, retailers, contractors, system integrators, and panel builders. Building local capacity to support customers is our partnership strategy’s heart. We indirectly create over 3,000 jobs in Nigeria through our partners, contributing to Schneider Electric’s global network of over 6 million partners. We believe in the Nigerian and African market, and we are dedicated to contributing to its flourishing by investing in local talent and market-specific solutions,” Ajibola said.
Laurent Favier, consul general of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier congratulated the Schneider Electric team for the milestone.
“Congratulations to the Schneider team for reaching this important milestone. France is dedicated to supporting your efforts here in Nigeria. Together, we aim to enhance and promote French interests in the region,” he said.
Walid Sheta, president of Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa, spoke on Schneider Electric’s commitment to ensuring its sustainability practices are integrated across its operations in Africa, “Time Magazine named Schneider Electric the most sustainable company in the world, and we are committed to maintaining that standard in Nigeria. Sustainability is closely tied to development and energy access, which remains a major challenge in Africa, and we believe the economical sustainable development will come in Africa. To achieve this, we need to invest in our talents to develop these products, solutions, and software, to deploy them in vast territories like Nigeria. We are proud to the most local of global companies.
We are also committed to achieving net-zero operations, ensuring distribution centres, factories, hotels, and hospitals meet net-zero standards in real estate. More importantly, what we provide to our customers is electrification and digitization, which integrates sustainability into our operations,” he said.
Devan Pillay, President, Schneider Electric’s Anglophone Africa Cluster, highlighted the significance of Schneider Electric’s unified headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, stating, “As a complex company, who operates in two primary areas: electrical distribution and industrial automation. It is essential for us to leverage all our key operations within the country. By consolidating our leadership for West Africa and bringing our teams together in one office, we can harness the power of collaboration to achieve more. This modern facility reflects Schneider’s commitment to fostering a progressive workplace environment that encourages teamwork and innovation.”
