Financial Energy Review
The Federal Government has given its backing to the first phase of
practical technical training in meter installation and industry ethics
by MOMAS Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL).
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Mr. Chinyeaka
Ohaa, who was in Lagos to flag off the training programme said
Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has provided an
intervention fund to facilitate mass metering initiative targeting six
million households.
Ohaa, said of the six million meters, local manufacturers are expected
to supply 30 per cent of the number and that the training programme by
MOMAS, a private sector initiative would help in boosting local
capacity for meter installers that have been observed to be in
deficit.
The Permanent Secretary, also said that fund is being made available
to indigenous meter assemblers to be able to meet the 30 per cent slot
offered to them in the meter supply market.
” The Minister of Power has been in MOMAS facility, and here I am to
see what is available given the expectation of government from its
local partners. For someone to establish and manage this facility for
over 30 years shows deep commitment and today we are witnessing Free
training of engineering graduates in smart meter installation and
maintenance as well as industry ethics.
I will report back and ensure we back this initiative because this is
a huge leap in capacity building which the country needs access this
point.” Ohaa assured.
Speaking on the initiative, Engr Kola Balogun, the Chairman,
MEMMCOL, said the idea was to extend the company’s Corporate Social
Responsibility to some States of the country to develop manpower
capability among unemployed youths in Nigeria.
Balogun said that this will enable unemployed youths to benefit from
the other value addition of the Federal Government initiative to role
out some meters to consumers.
He said that, beside the facts that the initiative will enhance
manufacturing sector of the power sector, the meter factories the
extension is to develop manpower skills to be able to install the
meter.
He said that the free metering installation programme traning for
unemployed youths is selected from the six Geo-Political zone of the
country , which the first phase will take two weeks with offer to give
certificate to all trained youths.
According to Balogun, in view of the recent efforts and commitment of
the federal government at ensuring that customers are metered which
culminated into an intervention by way of a Presidential approval of
six million electricity meters to be deployed to accelerate revenue
generation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NASI) as well
as eradicate estimated billings to customers.
” MOMAS as a key stakeholder in the downstream of the power sector, we
see the initiative as viable way to create employment opportunities
for our youths and timing is unprecedented given the fact that one of
the complaints by aggrieved youths doing the recent #EndSARS# protest
is unemployment.
” MOMAS also identified that there is urgent need to train more
Nigeria on electricity meter installation to compliment the
Presidential directive,” he said.
Balogun said: ” This is our own way of contributing our quota at
ensuring that the initiative is successful. We have decided to train
selected number of graduates across all the six Geo-political zones in
the country on metering technology through our MOMAS metering school
for free.
” In addition to the training, we shall provide the trainees with
kits, this will contain all the relevant tools for electricity meter
installation, considering quantity of the approved metres.
” There will be enough jobs for the youths to do and we would also
engage them in the execution of some of our projects, ” MOMAS boss
added.
The MOMAS helmsman said the there is need for government to consider
manpower skills in the installation of the meters as this will also go
a long way to develop the youth and create job opportunities for them.
He, however, lauded government for encouraging local capacity and
local content development in Nigeria, adding that also informed MOMAS
to take it upon themselves to develop manpower capability among
unemployed youths.
Balogun said that over 15 State Governors had indicated interest to
send youths to MOMAS factory to benefit from the company’s free
gesture to train all selected dedicated individuals from their States
to promote manpower skills in the country.
