220,000 youths apply for FG’s Power Force metering programme

More than 220,000 young Nigerians have applied for the Federal Government’s Power Force training programme, an initiative aimed at producing 5,000 certified meter installers to support the country’s electricity metering drive.

The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, disclosed this on Thursday during the official launch of the programme at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) headquarters in Abuja.

Verheijen described the Presidential Metering Initiative as the largest metering programme in Nigeria’s history, saying it was established to ensure electricity consumers are billed only for the energy they consume while promoting transparency in the power sector.

She said the programme would also develop a new generation of skilled professionals to support ongoing reforms in the electricity industry.

According to her, the Power Force training will be rolled out across centres in the six geopolitical zones after the Abuja launch.

She added that participants who complete the programme will receive certification from the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), qualifying them as professional meter installers in line with national and international safety and competence standards.

The first batch of successful applicants was unveiled during the launch and will undergo a three-week intensive training that combines classroom instruction with practical field experience before deployment.

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the trainees would form the backbone of Nigeria’s smart metering workforce, stressing that skilled technicians are essential to the success of the country’s electricity reforms.

He noted that the initiative goes beyond expanding metering infrastructure by creating jobs, building technical capacity and improving the livelihoods of young Nigerians.

Tegbe also commended the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria for withdrawing its legal challenge against the meter deployment programme, describing the move as a significant step towards accelerating the nationwide rollout of electricity meters.

Chairman of the Presidential Metering Initiative Board and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the programme was designed to strengthen the power sector while equipping young Nigerians with valuable technical skills.

He urged state governments to support the initiative by expanding opportunities for youth participation beyond the initial target of 5,000 trainees.

Also speaking, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayo Olawande, said the programme aligns with his ministry’s “One Youth, Two Skills” initiative, describing it as a practical intervention that will create employment opportunities while contributing to national development.