.Launches youth metering programme
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday assured Nigerians that ongoing reforms in the power sector will deliver a more transparent, accountable, sustainable and responsive electricity sector that meets the needs of every citizen.
The President represented by Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, gave the assurance at the flag-off of the training of 5,000 young Nigerians in smart meter installation programme under the Presidential Metering Initiative,held at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria NAPTIN, Abuja.
Highlighting that reforms in the nation’s power sector require consistency, partnership, technical excellence and commitment, Tinubu said the Presidential Metering Initiative transcends strengthening the electricity sector by creating meaningful employment opportunities for young Nigerians while equipping them with future-ready technical skills.
He said: “The transformation of Nigeria’s electricity sector will not occur overnight. It requires consistency, partnership, technical excellence, and unwavering commitment to reform.”
The President added that the Federal Government, in partnership with state governments and other stakeholders, would progressively expand the programme to accommodate more Nigerian youths, with the number of participants expected to increase to as many as 500,000.
“Every Nigerian deserves to pay only for the actual electricity function.These folks are saying that every service provider deserves to be paid for the electricity terminal supply.”
He emphasised that the government is deliberately building the skilled workforce required to install smart meters efficiently, professionally and at scale through the Power Force programme.
Tinubu expressed confidence that the first batch of 5,000 trainees, being trained by the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), would become the backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering programme, helping to ensure that millions of households and businesses receive professionally installed meters that meet the highest technical and safety standards.
Commenting on the role of smart metering in transforming the Nigerian power sector, the President said it would play a critical role in transforming the electricity value chain by replacing estimated billing with accurate measurement, uncertainty with confidence, and suspicion with trust.
“That principle is what smart metering makes possible. Metering has a multiplier effect across the value chain. Metering removes these bottle necks. It replaces estimation with accuracy, uncertainty with confidence, suspicion with trust. It empowers consumers to manage their energy usage while providing discourse with reliable revenue streams to improve service delivery.”
Earlier, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verhiejen, disclosed that the Federal Government is deploying more than seven million smart meters under what she described as the largest metering programme in Nigeria’s history.
Her words: “We’re deploying more than 7 million meters as the largest metering program in our nation’s history. But as we prepare for that journey, one truth became abundantly clear and impossible to ignore. Seven million meters requires thousands of skilled Nigerians. Capital can be raised, equipment can be procured, but no nation develops without capable people.”
Verheijen said the close of applications, which attracted nearly 220,000 submissions from young Nigerians for just 5,000 training slots, revealed the enormous potential of the country’s youth.
She added that the programme, which begins in Abuja before expanding to all six geopolitical zones, is designed to ensure that no part of the country is left behind
The presidential aide further explained that every Power Force graduate would receive professional training through the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), industry certification through the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), and a direct pathway to employment with electricity distribution companies and meter providers.
Also, Chairman of the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) Board and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by Edmund Obiora Nnaji
said the establishment of PMI Smart Grid Development Limited as a special purpose vehicle has accelerated efforts to close Nigeria’s metering gap and build a more efficient and sustainable electricity sector.
