An indigenous electricity meter manufacturer company, MOMAS Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL) has flagged off a free training programme for graduate engineers on meter installation and maintenance.
MEMMCOL said the free training programme is part of its support for the Federal Government’s ongoing mass metering project. The Federal Government had approved the distribution of six million electricity meters to customers to accelerate revenue generation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NASI) as well as eradicate estimated billings to customers.
“This is our own way of contributing our quota towards 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.
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.
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“At MOMAS, we have also identified that there is urgent need to train more Nigeria on electricity meter installation to compliment the Presidential directive,” he said.
“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.
Balogun also lauded government for encouraging local capacity and local content development in Nigeria, adding that informed MOMAS’ decision to take it upon itself to develop manpower capability among unemployed youths.
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He 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.
Also, the Federal Government has given its backing to the technical training in meter installation and industry ethics as the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Mr Chinyeaka Ohaa, who was at MOMAS Metering School Campus at Orimerunmu, Mowe Ogun State to flag off the free training programme commended the initiative.
Ohaa said the training programme would help in boosting local capacity for meter installers, especially as local manufacturers are expected to supply 30 per cent of the six million meters approved by the Federal Government for distribution. A step he said was line with regulatory directive of 30 per cent patronage of locally-manufactured meters as part of local content development initiative by government.
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“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 support this initiative because this is a huge leap in capacity building which the country needs access this point.” Ohaa assured.
“MOMAS company should be commended for this laudable initiative in training 15 graduate engineers each from all the 36-State in the country,” Ohaa said.
By Peace Obi
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