The Power Force Programme aligns with his ministry’s “One Youth, Two Skills” initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with employable skills
By Moses Okorie
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to train 5,000 electricity meter installers nationwide as part of efforts to bridge Nigeria’s metering gap and accelerate the rollout of seven million smart meters.
The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, disclosed this during the inauguration of the Power Force Programme in Abuja on Friday.
The Power Force Programme, an initiative under the Presidential Metering Initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, is designed to equip young Nigerians with the technical skills required to support the country’s ambitious metering drive.
Verheijen said the inauguration featured the unveiling of the first batch of successful applicants who would undergo a three-week intensive training programme combining classroom instruction with practical field experience in Abuja.
According to her, nearly 220,000 young Nigerians submitted applications during the recruitment process, underscoring the high level of interest in the initiative.
She described the PMI as the largest metering programme in Nigeria’s history, aimed at addressing one of the major challenges in the electricity sector by ensuring that consumers pay only for the electricity they actually consume.
“One young installer cannot transform Nigeria, but 5,000 can inspire 50,000, and 50,000 can inspire millions more. That is how movements begin—one opportunity, one person, one act of service at a time,” she said.
Verheijen added that after the Abuja pilot, the Power Force training programme would be expanded to centres across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
She explained that participants who successfully complete the programme would receive certification from the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), qualifying them as professional meter installers who meet both national and international safety and competency standards.
Speaking at the event, the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, said the Presidential Metering Initiative extends beyond improving the financial sustainability of the power sector.
Represented by the Executive Director of Finance and Administration at the NGF, Mr. Edmund Nnaji, the governor said the initiative would also empower thousands of young Nigerians through skills acquisition and employment opportunities.
He urged state governors to support the implementation of the Power Force Programme to ensure its success across the country.
The Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, described the trainees as the future backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering workforce.
According to him, the programme demonstrates that the ongoing electricity sector reforms are not only focused on infrastructure and technology but are equally committed to job creation, human capital development and sustainable livelihoods.
Tegbe also commended the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) for withdrawing its court case against the government’s meter deployment programme, noting that the decision had eliminated a major hurdle to the rapid rollout of electricity meters nationwide.
Also speaking, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, said the Power Force Programme aligns with his ministry’s “One Youth, Two Skills” initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with employable skills.
He noted that the programme would create jobs while enabling youths to contribute meaningfully to national development, adding that it reflects the Tinubu administration’s commitment to inter-agency collaboration in delivering the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.