A source in the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed on Thursday that free distribution of electricity meters to Nigerians will commence today (Friday) with the simultaneous inauguration of the scheme in Kano, Kaduna, Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution companies’ franchise area.
According to the source, the free distribution of meters is in fulfilment of the promise of the President, Muhammadu Buhari to ensure mass metering in the country and in the process put an end to the menace of estimated billing in the electricity sector.
A source in the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday.
He listed the locations where meters can be received as Bawo Road and environs in Kano metropolis (KEDCO); Governor Road, Tudun Wada in Kaduna (Kaduna Electric); Oshodi Business Unit in Ikeja (Ikeja Electric); and Yaba and Surulere (Eko Disco).
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The source added that key stakeholders to monitor the inauguration of the distribution include Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos State government representatives, the chairmen of Senate and House Committees on Power, as well as representatives of the organized labour and Civil Society Organizations.
The Presidency official added that, following Mr. President’s directive on mass metering, the Central Bank of Nigeria approved guidelines for funding the mass metering programme which entailed that all meters under the scheme will be locally sourced, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs through lead manufacturers such as MOMAS, MOJEC and others. The National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) is to roll out six million meters for all connection points on grid without meters over the next 18 to 24 months, estimated to impact 30 million consumers nationwide.
This development was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.
According to Akande, the current efforts by the Federal Government on improving power supply and mass metering is in line with some of the agreements recently reached between the Federal Government and the Organized labour.
He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had committed that Nigerians would be metered before the end of his administration and that estimated billing would become a thing of the past.
