Lucky Obukohwo, ReportingÂ
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Electrical Inspector of the federation, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Engr. Aliyu Tukur Tahir, has said the Meter Test Station built in Benin City, Edo State, would bridge the metering gaps in the country.
He disclosed this during a tour of the facilities in Benin City.
Engr. Tahir who said the facility is 95 percent completed, added that N290 million has been expended thus far on the facility.
Tahir added that the federal government is very key in tackling the issues arising from metering in the country and would do everything possible to ensure that such become a thing of the past.
“We are all consumers of electricity and there is existing metering gaps in the country and the gap is wide and closing the gaps, requires the installations of million of meters.
“And meters by law, are not going to be installed and put into use without the testing and certification by NEMSA. So we are already preparing towards the closure of this gap because the government is working hard to ensure that this gap is closed within a short period because there are a lot of programmes that are going on. The Meter Access Providers Programme is already on, the National Mass Metering Programme is already on.
“So, all these will bring in mass meters to be deployed in Nigeria and you know that all these meters cannot be deployed in Nigeria without the testing and certification by NEMSA.
“So, these Meters Test Station that we are building, we are gearing up towards the testing of such meters that are coming in. We have four of them that are working already “, Tahir said.
Tahir maintained that the plan of the federal government is to have the Meters Test Station across the six geopolitical zones.
While speaking about the one in Edo State, he said it would have Meter Generation Museum which will help show how electricity metres evolve within the country.
“We also have metre generation museum. It is a museum of gallery of meters that we show the history of how electricity meters evolve within the country.
“We already have one in Lagos, we have one in Port Harcourt, we have one in Kaduna and we have already awarded another in Enugu.
“So, this facility also comprise of such museum. This is just to showcase the meters, to help our youths understand how meters develop in this country.
“We have already have the meters to be installed. We are going to have the museum here . So, part of this building also have that museum of gallery”, Tahir added.