The Chairman, Momas Electricity Meter Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL), Kola Balogun, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen local manufacturers of prepaid meters.
He made this call on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stating the importance of preventing capital flight and utilising forex, channeling it to supporting local manufacturers.
Balogun highlighted the need for the employment of skilled individuals in the rollout of the first phase of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
The NNMP, phase zero, was introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2020 to address the metering gaps in the country and tackle infrastructural issues bedeviling the power sector.
Balogun said, “President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration must be commended for initiating the NMMP because there is an urgent need to bridge the metering gap in the power sector.
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“I want to appreciate the government because the intervention that came to manufacturers under the phase one was a huge success.
“It gave manufacturers the opportunity to have a tested process in place to know their capabilities and capacities and what they can give to the market.
“The volume given to us was tested against the equipment, manpower and why we need to upscale further.
“We need to employ more engineers on how to handle and service the machines, how to do coding and programming and also installers that will be going into the field.
“I am appealing to them that as the phase one is coming in that they should strengthen local manufacturers.
“There should be an opportunity for more funding to upscale our production and train more hands to ensure its success.
“It is a better way for the government to utilise its Forex by supporting local manufacturing instead of capital flight through the importation of meters.”
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