The federal government through its agency mandated to certify imported electricity meters in the country, the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), is to ensure the installation of 36 million meters nationwide latest by June 2021, the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, has said.
The minister said on Friday President Muhammadu Buhari has already given the agency the directive to ensure that target was achieved.
Jedy-Agba spoke after inspecting the NEMSA meter testing facility in Enugu scheduled for commissioning in the next six to eight weeks.
“I came to inspect what is going on here, to know the position regarding the meter testing facilities we are going to have here in Enugu. I came also to see what has been done and the preparation toward the commissioning of the office. I am satisfied with the plans so far,” he said.
He said the office was mandated to ensure that electricity prepaid meters imported into Nigerian met the country’s standard.
“We imported electricity meters and not manufacturing and our facilities here will be used to test the meters, to ensure they meet what Nigerians require. It is after the testing to certify that they satisfied our standards that the meters would be installed for the consumers.
“NEMSA is an Agency responsible for the installation and the President has given them the mandate that 36million meters must be installed by the end of June this year,” the minister said.
Jedy-Agba, however, said he was surprised at the growing incidence of illegal connections of electricity in the state, particularly around Fidelma hotels, Independent Layout, Enugu.
NEMSA Managing Director in the South East, Peter Ewesor, said that the meter testing station was established as a quality control mechanism for the power sector in the country.
Ewesor said the mandate of the agency was to ensure that no meter could be deployed or installed and put into use until it had been tested and met the nation’s requirements.
“Every country has its own technical requirements and specifications for any equipment. Any meter that does not pass through the agency cannot be installed or used, either it is a National Mass Meter Programme or Meter Assets Provider Regulation.
“There are two tests that we carry out, namely Type Test and Routine Test. Type test is being conducted to know if the meter has been used before in Nigeria or any other country before approval.
“Routine test ensures that the quality that is approved in type test is what the person deployed needs,” the NEMSA boss explained.
He also said that the office would serve the entire South East, which had none before now, adding that NEMSA would be performing “periodic tests” of electricity meters that had been installed, to ensure that they still maintained their technical accuracy, propriety and quality.(NAN)
