Local Meter Manufacturing Companies capable of closing metering gap in Nigeria, AEMS Boss, Onyejiuwa tells FG

AMAECHI PERCY ONYEJEKWE
AWKA

Since the advent of electricity in Nigeria electricity meter has continually posed challenges to the power sector. And the government has never relented to provide solutions.

Measurement of electric current and computation of the amount of power consumed by power consumers is an unavoidable function of the electric meter which enables power suppliers and the government to generate revenue. But certain militating factors had stood against the noble idea of the electric meter which was  invented by Thomas Alva Edison in 1881,

Some of the challenges included inadequate meters, faulty and obsolete meters, and inaccessibility of the meters by eligible power consumers, among others.

Government policies also play an important role in the acquisition, importation, manufacturing and distribution of meters to power consumers in the country.

According to the African Development Bank(ADB), about 75 million Nigerians have access to electricity, but only an estimated 8.1 million of this figure were allegedly recognized electricity consumers by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission( NERC).

According to sources, only about 3.4 million power consumers have electricity meters, giving rise to a gap of 4.7 million consumers.

It was further gathered that about 50% of the metered electricity consumers have malfunctioned, obsolete, meters that require replacement, a thing that has further widened the metering gap by 1.7 million, according to sources.

DAILY CHAMPION learned that electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) on assuming ownership of distribution assets, committed to annual loss reduction targets that are calculated against baseline Aggregate, Technical, Commercial, and Collection losses (ATC and C) in addition to expanding meters to all unmetered power consumers within their areas of operation, which is also part of their contractual commitment agreement with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) that is the basis for their business operation performance benchmark.

However, given the reforms in the Nigerian power sector, the unbundled distribution companies, (Distribution licensees) were saddled with the distribution of electricity meters to consumers. The Discos have allegedly been unable to meet metering obligations due to financial constraints among other things.

It was learned that in 2016, the DisCos allegedly achieved about 13 % in their combined effort to meet the metering target of 1.7 million consumers as stipulated in their performance agreement with the BPE.

To ameliorate the situation the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Advanced Energy Management Solutions Limited (AEMSL) ,  Okechukwu Onyejiuwa has urged the Federal Government to permit local electricity meter manufacturing companies full participatory inclusion in the National Mass Metering Programme(NMMP), saying that Local Electric Meter Manufacturing Companies have the capacity to close the alleged 1.7 metering gap in the country.

Onyejiuwa stated this on Thursday, November 30 , 2023 at Oraifite, in  Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State when he hosted the Vice president of the federation, Senator Kashim Shettima who was in the town to commission the AEMS electric meter manufacturing factory.

The AEMS boss who faulted the continued granting of waivers on import duties to foreign companies to enable them to produce meters for Nigeria disclosed that his company has the capability of mass production of Single Phase, Three Phase and Maximum Demand(MD), non Maximun Demand among other meters and has the capacity of producing 1.4 million meters annually.

He explained that AEMS and other Local Meter Manufacturing Companies in the country have the capacity to change the ugly narrative of metering in Nigeria, save foreign exchange for the country, and create jobs for jobless youths among other things.

He stressed that fully including the local electric meter manufacturing companies in the National Mass Metering Programme(NMMP) would impact positively on the economy and end the metering gap in the country since the metering companies have the capacity to close the metering gap.

Onyejiuwa decried the situation where foreign companies were contracted and granted waivers to produce electric meters for Nigeria including the unsavory foreign exchange sourcing challenges from the alternative market, stressing that inadequate power supply, conveyance hiccups encountered in making products available to consumers , among other daunting challenges in addition, do not aurgur well with the country.

“May we take the liberty of having His Excellency here to request that the government should encourage AEMS, local Meter Manufacturing Companies as well as future investors in metering by making it possible for us to participate fully in the National Mass Metering Programme(NMMP).

“It is more beneficial to patronize local meter manufacturers with proven capacities rather than contracting supply of energy meter to foreign companies and granting them import duty waivers. We can assure Your Excellency that local meter manufacturing companies such as AEMS have the capacity to significantly close the metering gap in the country, conserve foreign exchange, pay import duty, companies income tax,, and well create jobs.

“Sourcing of  foreign exchange to import machines,equipment and raw materials have been a herculean task in recent years. When manufacturers are left with no alternative than to source foreign exchange from the alternative market, the consequences are that the price of the finished product is impacted very negatively, and the capacity is constrained”, Onyejiuwa noted..

On standard and quality of the Nigerian made electric meter, the AEMS boss said the product undergoes certification by the National Electricity Management Services Agency ( NEMSA) before being distributed to consumers through the DisCos.

Vice President Shettima, who was led to the place by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State followed by his commissioner for commerce and industry, Mr. Christian Ugochukwu represented by the governor’s Special Assistant on Commerce and Industry Eloka Maduekwe, has in his entourage Honorable Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of power, Senator Victor Umeh,  Senator Osita Izunaso among other state and Federal Government officials.