The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) says failurev of meter manufacturing companies to produce the commodity in large quantities is responsible for the slow pace of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
Executive Director, ANED, Sunday Oduntan, gave the reason recently.
He promised Nigerians that every single household would be metered, and warned them against cutting corners not to fall victim to fraudulent elements in the sector.
He explained that most of the components used in producing the meters were imported and until Ajaokuta steel commences working 100 per cent, a lot more work needs to be done.
“We have meter-manufacturing companies in Nigeria who are doing all they could to produce these meters but the components that are used to manufacture these meters, not all of them are produced in Nigeria, and that explains the issue of scarcity, insufficiency.For instance, in a three-phase meter, I am aware that there are seven components that are imported. Nigeria is yet to become a full manufacturing or producing nation, until Ajaokuta starts working 100 percent, we will need to import a lot of things in this country. For that reason, the meter manufacturing companies who are empowered to ensure the delivery of the NMMP are not able to give us five million meters. For instance, it cannot manufacture 100,000 meters every week. That is our reality, it is important you know all these so that you will understand the reason for the slow pace in getting metered.
“Meters are not sold on the shelf. Meters are programmed, so if your neighbour’s meter is being installed and he is not around and you need a meter, you cannot be given that particular meter because the meter has been programmed for that neighbor.
“NMMP is meant to ensure that everyone in the country is metered, we are involved as DisCos but it is not the DisCos that are in charge of it. The policy belongs to the FG. The regulator is our master; it is what they ask us to do that we will do. If they send only 200 meters to Abeokuta this week, we can only install 200, once the 200 are installed we will request more and until more are available we cannot do anything about it. The numbers of houses to be metered are more than the meters that are available.”
