Federal Government has said it will commence the distribution of free electricity meters today with the target of getting 30 million consumers.
The National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), is expected to commence today, Friday, October 30, 2020, and to be simultaneously launched in Kano, Kaduna, Eko and Ikeja DISCO franchise areas, ThePunch reports.
The free meter distribution, a Presidency source said, was in fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to ensure mass metering in the country and in the process put an end to the problems of estimated billing in the electricity sector.
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The Presidential official disclosed that the locations to receive meters include 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).
According to the source, the chairmen of Senate and House committees on Power, Kaduna, Kano and Lagos state government representatives, representatives of the organised labour and Civil Society Organisations are among the stakeholders that will oversee the exercise.
The source said;
The NMMP is to roll out six million meters for all connections points on grid without meters over the next 18 to 24 months, estimated to impact 30 million consumers nationwide.
Following Mr President’s directive on mass metering, the Central Bank of Nigeria, on October 18, 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.
Meanwhile, Laolu Akande, the senior special assistant to the vice president on media and publicity, confirmed the development but added that more details will emerge as the distribution progresses across the country.
He stressed that current efforts by the Federal Government on improving power supply and mass metering was in line with some of the agreements recently reached between the FG and Organized Labour recently.
