By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government has launched the Power Force programme, a nationwide training initiative aimed at producing 5,000 certified electricity meter installers as part of efforts to accelerate the deployment of seven million smart meters and bridge Nigeria’s metering gap.
The programme, implemented under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), was officially flagged off on Thursday at the headquarters of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) in Abuja.
The event also marked the unveiling of the first batch of successful applicants, who will undergo a three-week intensive practical and classroom training.
According to the Presidential Metering Initiative, nearly 220,000 applications were received from young Nigerians seeking to participate in the programme.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who also chairs the PMI Board and was represented by Edmund Obiora Nnaji, Executive Director of Finance and Administration at the NGF, described the initiative as a platform for both power sector reform and youth empowerment.
He said the programme was not only designed to improve the financial sustainability of the electricity sector through increased metering but also to equip young Nigerians with valuable technical skills and employment opportunities.
He urged state governors to support the initiative and help expand it beyond the initial target of 5,000 trainees.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said the success of Nigeria’s smart metering programme depends on the availability of skilled and certified technicians.
“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,” he said.
Tegbe added that the initiative demonstrates that the Federal Government’s electricity reforms extend beyond infrastructure to include job creation, human capital development and sustainable livelihoods.
The minister also commended the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) for withdrawing its court case against the meter deployment programme, describing the decision as a major step toward accelerating nationwide meter installation.
Minister of Youth Development Ayo Olawande said the initiative aligns with his ministry’s “One Youth, Two Skills” programme and reflects the Tinubu administration’s commitment to creating employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.
According to him, the programme demonstrates effective collaboration among federal ministries, departments and agencies in delivering the benefits of government policies to citizens.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative and Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Olu Arowolo Verheijen, described the PMI as the largest electricity metering programme in Nigeria’s history.
She said the initiative was established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to eliminate one of the biggest obstacles to a reliable electricity sector by ensuring consumers pay only for the electricity they actually use.
Verheijen expressed confidence that the programme would inspire broader youth participation in the power sector, noting that thousands of trained installers could create a ripple effect of employment and national development.
Following the Abuja launch, the Power Force training programme will be rolled out to centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive formal certification from the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), qualifying them as certified meter installers who meet national and international safety and competence standards.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayo Gbeleyi; the Managing Director of NAPTIN, Ahmed Bolaji Nagode; the Managing Director of NEMSA, Adesayo Olusegun Michael; and the Project Director of the Presidential Metering Initiative, Obafemi Solebo.
