On the Centralization of Reliability in Maintenance Practices in the Nigeria Power System Network: A Review

An effective maintenance practice is one which involves a strategic framework aimed at improving the overall performance of a system by reducing the number of failures in the system. The main attribute of sound maintenance management will be to effectively plan the system to operate with a status-quo so as to avoid all kinds of failure within the system. This paper presents a review of the present maintenance practices in the Nigeria Power System Network NPSN. It was observed from the review that the maintenance strategy presently adopted by the NPSN has not been effective due to the increase in the number of failures arising from poor maintenance. This paper proposes the incorporation of Reliability-Centered Maintenance RCM as an effective maintenance strategy in the NPSN when adopted, RCM strategy will give priority to the operating context of the equipment within the NPSN; give maintenance personnel opportunity to react to potential failures, reduce unnecessary maintenance within the system and provide maintenance personnel opportunity to carrying out round the clock maintenance system. The RCM has overall aim of improving the reliability of the NPSN and this will reduce the down time of the power system and guarantee return on investment in a deregulated power industry