Have you ever heard about the youth meter installers in the country? Well, that is coming as the latest wand off the sleeves of the current administration as part of its reforms aimed at improving electricity supply in the country.
According to President Bola Tinubu the reforms would deliver a more transparent, accountable and sustainable electricity sector.
It is in pursuant of this goal that it has inaugurated youth meter installers programme, which would see about 5,000 youths in the training.
Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, who represented the president, inaugurated the programme tagged ‘Power Force’ at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria NAPTIN, Abuja.
It is running under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) with the first batch of 5,000 applicants undergoing a three-week intensive practical training programme.
“The transformation of Nigeria’s electricity sector will not occur overnight. It requires consistency, partnership, technical excellence, and unwavering commitment to reform.”
“Beyond strengthening the power sector, the Presidential Metering Initiative programme creates meaningful employment.
“We are not stopping at 5,000; we will keep ramping up to 10,000, 15,000 and we might even get to 500,000. This programme creates meaningful employment and equips young people with future-ready technical skills.”
“Every Nigerian deserves to pay only for the actual electricity consumed, while every service provider deserves to be paid for the electricity supplied.
“Better days lie ahead. We are steadily building an electricity sector that is more transparent, more accountable, more sustainable and more responsive to the needs of every citizen.”
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The federal government envisages this first batch of youth meter installers as the backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering programme, ensuring millions of households and businesses receive professionally installed meters that meet the highest technical and safety standards.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and Executive Secretary of the PMI, Mrs Olu Verheijen:
“We’re deploying more than seven million meters as the largest metering programme in our nation’s history.
“But seven million meters require thousands of skilled Nigerians. Capital can be raised and equipment procured, but no nation develops without capable people.”
She said the overwhelming response to the programme reflected the enormous potential of Nigerian youths.
“Applications have now closed. We had 5,000 places, but we received almost 220,000 applications from young Nigerians across our country. That tells us something profound.
“Beneath the unemployment statistics lies a generation that is ready to work if given the opportunity.”
