The federal government on Thursday flagged off the ‘Power Force Programme’ under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), a scheme designed to train 5,000 young Nigerians as certified technicians for the nationwide smart metering rollout.
Speaking during the flag-off of the programme in Abuja, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described it as a landmark intervention to address the metering gap and restore financial sustainability to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Metering gap fuelling liquidity crisis
Mr Tegbe said inadequate metering has for years denied the sector the revenue certainty needed to sustain investment and improve service delivery.
“One of the greatest structural challenges confronting the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry is the persistent liquidity deficit. Every segment of the value chain depends upon timely and adequate revenue collection.
“Yet, for many years, inadequate metering has denied the sector the financial certainty required to sustain investment, improve service delivery and expand electricity access,” the minister said.
He said where electricity consumed cannot be accurately measured, revenue cannot be accurately collected.
“Where revenue is uncertain, investments decline, infrastructure deteriorates, and ultimately, consumers suffer.”
Mr Tegbe added that the metering gap is not just a technical problem but one of the principal causes of the liquidity challenges that have constrained the growth of our power sector.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu is pursuing “bold and audacious reforms” to restore financial sustainability across the electricity market while that fairness, transparency and accountability remain at the heart of the system.
His guiding principle, Tegbe added, is that “every Nigerian deserves to pay only for the actual electricity consumed, and every service provider deserves to be paid for the electricity genuinely supplied.”
“That principle is what smart metering makes possible. Metering has a multiplier effect across the value chain. Metering removes disputes. It replaces estimation with accuracy, uncertainty with confidence, and suspicion with trust. It empowers consumers to manage their electricity usage whilst providing DisCos with reliable revenue streams to improve service delivery.
“In doing so, it strengthens the entire Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. This is why the federal government has continued to prioritise interventions aimed at restoring liquidity and consumer confidence across the market.
“Through ongoing reforms, improved market discipline, settlement initiatives and targeted financial interventions, we are addressing legacy challenges whilst laying the foundations for a commercially viable electricity industry capable of attracting sustained private investment,” he said.
5,000 youths to drive rollout
Mr Tegbe said the Power Force Programme is deliberately designed to build the skilled workforce required to install meters efficiently, professionally and at scale.
“Meters do not install themselves. Behind every successful metering programme must stand thousands of competent, certified and dedicated technicians.
“The 5,000 young Nigerians being trained under this initiative will become the backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering workforce. They will help ensure that millions of households and businesses receive professionally installed meters that meet the highest technical and safety standards,” he said.
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Beyond strengthening the power sector, he said the programme will create meaningful employment, equip young people with future-ready technical skills, support local content development and stimulate economic growth.
“It demonstrates that our electricity reforms are not merely about equipment and technology; they are equally about creating opportunities, building human capital and securing livelihoods,” he added.
Speaking further, he said the transformation of Nigeria’s electricity sector will not occur overnight.
“It requires consistency, partnership, technical excellence and an unwavering commitment to reform. To our trainees, I urge you to approach this opportunity with discipline, professionalism and pride. The skills you acquire here will not only shape your careers; they will contribute directly to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
“To the Nigerian people, let me assure you that 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,” he said.
