By Sunday Ani
Nigerian-born Cybersecurity, AI and strategic planning specialist, Prof. Alex Akpodiete, last week, led nine senior procurement and planning professionals through a suite of cutting-edge analytical tools, generative-AI applications and hands-on modelling exercises to shape Oman’s future energy and set a new benchmark for utility training worldwide.
Prof. Akpodiete used the five-day training session held in Muscat, Oman, to position himself at the forefront of energy-sector consulting in the Gulf as he led a groundbreaking strategic forecasting and planning workshop for Oman’s power and water sector.
He noted that the first day of the workshop, which offered participants the opportunity to analyse Oman’s water and power landscape, equally helped them to leverage Oman’s robust gas reserves for flexible power generation, mitigating import dependency risks, capitalising on renewable energy incentives and countering climate-driven water shortages.
“On the second day, the focus shifted to data quality and exploratory analysis. Trainees learned best practices for cleaning and validating time-series data in Excel, including filling gaps via moving averages, smoothing volatility with exponential smoothing techniques and constructing what-if scenario tables to assess tariff and demand growth sensitivities.
“Using Oman’s 2015–2023 load and water-demand records, teams generated interactive histograms, box plots and trend lines, laying the descriptive groundwork for robust forecasting,” he said.
The workshop was an opportunity to position a Nigerian authority on the global stage as Akpodiete drew on more than three decades of experience in AI ethics, cybersecurity and digital forensics education to deliver landmark lectures. A holder of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) golden visa, he has previously led bespoke courses for clients in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
“Our goal was to equip NAMA staff with end-to-end capabilities, from data cleaning to AI-driven scenario planning and sustainability alignment. The enthusiasm and rapid progress from the trainees exceeded all expectations. I was impressed and even learnt from the participants. I loved the country and the hospitality and I hope to return,” he said. Speaking on the implications of the workshop for Nigeria’s energy sector, he noted that Nigeria, having been grappling with legacy grid constraints, tariff reforms and ambitious renewable energy goals, stands to benefit immensely from a similar programme. “By harnessing AI-enhanced forecasting, solver-powered optimisation and interactive BI dashboards, as demonstrated in Muscat, Nigerian utilities could refine a 10-year master plans, de-risk investments in solar and gas and transparently demonstrate alignment with the country’s decade of gas and energy transition frameworks,” he stated.
Prof. Akpodiete said he is examining the possibility of scaling the training to other Gulf utilities, stressing that he was already in discussions with several ministries from the Middle East and Africa to replicate the curriculum.
A Nigerian government spokesperson who preferred anonymity said: “In Abuja, energy-sector stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation. This is exactly the capacity development Nigeria needs. We’re eager to explore a partnership to bring these best practices home.”
Prof. Akpodiete noted that the workshop could serve as a blueprint for smart and sustainable utility planning for Nigeria’s policymakers and operators. “The success of this Gulf-based pilot offers a timely opportunity for Nigerian agencies to leverage world-class training in strategic forecasting, AI integration, and capacity optimisation,” he stated.
