President Bola Tinubu has announced a new skills development programme that will train 5,000 young Nigerians as meter installers and technicians under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), a move aimed at tackling Nigeria’s electricity metering gap while creating employment opportunities for young people.
The President made the announcement in a statement shared on his verified X account, describing the initiative, known as The Power Force, as part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to promote youth empowerment, improve electricity service delivery and strengthen the country’s power sector.
According to Tinubu, the programme is designed to equip participants with practical technical skills that will prepare them for careers in Nigeria’s electricity industry while contributing to efforts to eliminate estimated billing across the country.
He explained that the Presidential Metering Initiative was established to address the long-standing shortage of electricity meters, protect consumers from unfair billing practices and improve transparency within the nation’s power sector.
Through The Power Force, successful applicants will receive specialised training as meter installers and technicians, enabling them to gain employable skills while supporting the nationwide rollout of electricity meters.
President Tinubu said the programme is open to eligible Nigerians who have completed their secondary school education. He also revealed that a dedicated quota has been reserved for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), giving serving corps members an opportunity to acquire technical skills that could improve their career prospects after national service.
The President emphasized that expanding access to electricity meters remains a key part of the government’s strategy to improve the efficiency of the power sector. He noted that proper metering allows consumers to pay only for the electricity they actually consume while helping electricity distribution companies collect revenue more transparently.
According to him, increased metering will also enable distribution companies to reduce commercial losses, maintain critical infrastructure, expand electricity connections and invest in better service delivery for customers across the country.
Tinubu stated that these improvements are essential to building a more reliable, transparent and financially sustainable electricity market that benefits consumers, investors and the Nigerian economy as a whole.
To ensure the programme begins without delay, the President directed the Presidential Metering Initiative to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) and other relevant stakeholders to commence the training within the next 30 days.
He encouraged qualified young Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity, describing the initiative as a pathway to acquiring valuable technical skills while contributing to the transformation of Nigeria’s power sector.
The President added that the programme is not only intended to create jobs but also to empower young Nigerians with practical skills that can provide sustainable livelihoods and support ongoing efforts to eliminate estimated billing nationwide.
With the launch of The Power Force, the Federal Government hopes to accelerate the deployment of electricity meters, improve service delivery, enhance transparency in electricity billing and create thousands of new employment opportunities for young Nigerians, further advancing the objectives of the Presidential Metering Initiative and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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