The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC on Tuesday commenced mass metering of 900,000 meters in its franchise areas of Abuja,Nasarawa,Kogi and Niger states,a move geared towards closing metering gap and address of liquidity concerns in the sector.
The Mass metering programme is being undertaken under the National Mass Metering Programme of the federal government.
Ernest Mupwaya,the Managing director? of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC speaking in Abuja at the commencement of the programme that the meter would be enough to close metering gap in the franchise area.
“The estimated cost for the meters is about N63 billion. The government is keen on ensuring that local manufacturers partake in this programme and the meters sourced locally to promote local content and job creation.We have been supported with facility by the federal government at low interest rate to perform this great task
Speaking further on the implications of the mass metering programme,he said,”It widens opportunity in job creation such that meter engineers will take part in the installations.The meter engineers should also be assimilated into the Discos to become meter inspectors.”
According to Mupwaya,”The improvement in the revenues should be ploughed back and increase the revenue of the Discos and payment of the market operator and the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, NBET and address market shortfall concerns.”
He said:”The customers won’t be allowed to pay as the cost would be inbuilt into the service reflective tarrif,and which is a direct departure from what was obtainable in Third Party Meter Provider Policy of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.”
Tom Adaba,an ace broadcast journalist and the former Director general of the Nigerian Broadcasting cooperation, NBC at the event urged the government to work towards ensuring a seamless collaboration between the transmission,Distribution and generation companies to drive efficipower supply in the country.
Kunle Olubiyo,a power consumer advocacy campaigner anf National President,Nigerka Consumer protectio network at the event said the initiative would drive efficiency in revenue collection and enhance investor’s confidence in Nigeria’s power sector reforms.
