Nigeria’s drive to end estimated billing and improve electricity supply received a major boost on Thursday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu officially launched the Presidential Metering Initiative training programme known as Power Force.
The programme will train 5,000 young Nigerians as certified smart meter installers, with plans to expand the initiative to as many as 500,000 participants in the coming years.
The initiative is expected to play a key role in the Federal Government’s plan to deploy more than seven million smart electricity meters across the country.
Consequently, millions of homes and businesses could benefit from more accurate electricity billing and improved service delivery.
The programme was inaugurated at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) in Abuja. Meanwhile, over 220,000 applications were received from young Nigerians seeking one of the 5,000 available training slots.
Represented by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, President Tinubu said the reforms would transform Nigeria’s electricity sector through transparency, accountability and efficiency.
He explained that smart metering would eliminate estimated billing while ensuring that electricity consumers only pay for the energy they actually use.
According to the President:
“The transformation of Nigeria’s electricity sector will not occur overnight. It requires consistency, partnership, technical excellence and unwavering commitment to reform.”
Furthermore, he assured Nigerians that the government remains focused on delivering better electricity services across the country.
Tinubu said:
“Better days lie ahead. We are steadily building an electricity sector that is more transparent, more accountable, more sustainable and more responsive to the needs of every citizen.”
He also described the programme as more than a power sector reform, noting that it would create thousands of jobs while preparing young Nigerians with valuable technical skills.
According to him:
“We are not stopping at 5,000. We will keep ramping up to 10,000, 15,000 and, ultimately, we may get to 500,000. This programme creates meaningful employment while preparing young Nigerians with future-ready technical skills.”
Moreover, Tinubu said the Power Force programme was designed to produce a skilled workforce capable of installing smart meters professionally across Nigeria.
He added that the first batch of trainees would become the backbone of the country’s nationwide metering project.
He said:
“Metering has a multiplier effect across the value chain. It empowers consumers to manage their energy usage while providing distribution companies with reliable revenue streams to improve service delivery.”
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, revealed that the government plans to deploy over seven million smart meters under what she described as the largest metering programme in Nigeria’s history.
She explained:
“We’re deploying more than seven million meters as the largest metering programme in our nation’s history. But one truth became abundantly clear: seven million meters require thousands of skilled Nigerians. Capital can be raised, equipment can be procured, but no nation develops without capable people.”
Verheijen also said the overwhelming number of applications reflected the readiness of Nigerian youths to embrace new opportunities.
According to her:
“It tells us that beneath the statistics of unemployment lies something even more powerful; a generation that is ready to work if given the opportunity.”
Furthermore, she disclosed that the training programme would gradually expand to centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to ensure fair participation.
Graduates will receive professional training through NAPTIN and certification from the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA). They will also have direct employment opportunities with electricity distribution companies and meter providers.
Chairman of the Presidential Metering Initiative Board and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by Edmund Obiora Nnaji, urged state governments to support the programme by creating additional opportunities for young people beyond the first batch of trainees.
Similarly, NAPTIN Director-General Ahmed Nagode explained that participants would undergo both classroom and practical training approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. Therefore, graduates will meet both national and international technical standards.
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande also welcomed the initiative. He said it aligns with the government’s efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical skills that encourage employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
