Government launches nationwide program to train 5,000 technicians for smart meter installation

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The Federal Government on Thursday flagged off the training of its first batch of smart electricity meter installers under the Power Force programme.

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This was as the Presidential Metering Initiative disclosed that close to 220,000 young Nigerians applied for the 5,000 available slots.

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The flag-off ceremony, held at the headquarters of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria in Abuja, also featured the unveiling of the first cohort of selected applicants, who will undergo a three-week intensive practical and classroom training programme before being deployed as certified meter installers across the country.

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The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative and Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Olu Verheijen, outlined the details of the programme in a statement she signed Thursday titled ‘Nigeria Accelerates Smart Meter Deployment With Flag-off Of Training For First Batch of Meter Installers.’

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According to Verheijen, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the 5,000 installers being trained under the initiative would form the backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering workforce.

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“Behind every successful metering programme must stand thousands of competent, certified and dedicated technicians.

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“The 5,000 young Nigerians being trained under this initiative will become the backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering workforce,” he said.

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He added that the Power Force initiative demonstrated that electricity reform was as much about people as it was about equipment.

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Tegbe explained, “Our electricity reforms are not merely about equipment and technology; they are equally about creating opportunities, building human capital and securing livelihoods.”

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He also commended the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria for withdrawing a court action it had previously instituted against the meter deployment programme, describing it as a pivotal decision.

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“That singular decision has removed a significant obstacle to the accelerated deployment of electricity meters across the country,” he said.

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For her part, Verheijen described the Presidential Metering Initiative as the largest metering programme in Nigeria’s history, established by President Bola Tinubu in 2023 to solve what she called one of the biggest structural barriers to a reliable electricity sector.

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“The PMI was established to ensure that every Nigerian pays only for the electricity they actually use,” she said.

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Speaking on the rationale for the training numbers, Verheijen said, “One young installer cannot transform Nigeria. But five thousand can inspire fifty thousand. And fifty thousand can inspire millions more.

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“That is how movements begin, one opportunity, one person, one act of service at a time.”

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The Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by NGF Executive Director of Finance and Administration Edmund Nnaji, said the PMI was not only about fixing the finances of the power sector but about direct impact on young Nigerians.

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He called on fellow governors to explore supporting the Power Force initiative with a view to expanding the trainee pool beyond the initial 5,000 target.

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Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayo Olawande, said Power Force was directly aligned with his ministry’s One Youth, Two Skills initiative.

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“This is not just the launch of a training programme; it is about creating jobs and opportunities for Nigerian youths to contribute to national development.

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“President Tinubu’s administration has demonstrated that Nigeria’s federal ministries, departments and agencies can collaborate effectively to ensure the dividends of democracy reach everybody in the country,” he said.

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Following the Abuja launch, the training of the Power Force cohort will expand to centres across all six geopolitical zones.

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Upon completion, trainees will receive formal certification from the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency as qualified meter installers who have met national and international competence and safety standards.

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Others at the flag-off included the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Ayo Gbeleyi; the Managing Director of NAPTIN, Ahmed Bolaji Nagode; and the Managing Director of NEMSA, Adesayo Michael.

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