Chairman, Momas Electrical Meters Manufacturing Companies Limited (MEMMCOL) Metering School, Mr. Kola Balogun, has identified inadequate manpower as one of several factors responsible for metering gap in Nigeria.
Balogun, stated this an interview with journalists over the weekend in Lagos where he said the company trained about 600 Nigerian youths on meter installation and manufacturing in the last 20 months.
He said the training provided direct and indirect jobs to hundreds of youth who are being taken out of the streets and engaged in productive activities.
“From January 2020 to August 2021, we have trained over 600 candidates from across the country and they have been very useful to the metering process. We don’t just train, we also educate them and change their attitude to the job because MOMAS represents good product,good character and good thinking. They, as our ambassadors, will go out there to make sure that everything is done properly by not allowing energy theft through meter by-pass and sensitising electricity customers.
“There is a lot of manpower deficiency in the power sector and we realised that we have the opportunity to pass on skills we have acquired over 30 years now. “
He said the target was to maximise the opportunity in the metering subsection of the power sector value chain by providing adequate and competent training to young graduates, undergraduates and school certificate holders.
“Now we have the ongoing National Mass Metering Programme ( NMMP) of the Federal Government where the target is to install five million prepaid across the country and it is an opportunity to get more youths on board,” Balogun said.
He said 22 students sponsored by Nasarawa State Government recently graduated from the training programme, adding that other governments and politicians should sponsor more Nigerians for the training.