Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has officially flagged off the POWER FORCE training programme, a flagship initiative under the Presidential Metering Initiative designed to produce 5,000 certified meter installers across Nigeria in a major push to accelerate the deployment of seven million smart electricity meters and close the country's metering gap. The flag-off ceremony, held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at the headquarters of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria in Abuja, marked a significant milestone in the government's efforts to transform the power sector and create employment opportunities for Nigerian youths. The programme, launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023, received close to 220,000 submissions from interested young Nigerians across the country during the application period, underscoring the high demand for skills development and job creation in the energy sector.
Speaking at the event, the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who also chairs the PMI Board, described the initiative as more than just a metering programme. "PMI is not just about fixing the finances of the power sector through metering. It is also about impacting the lives of young Nigerians, through training and skills development," Abdulrazaq said, calling on fellow governors to explore supporting the initiative to expand the pool of trainees beyond the initial 5,000. The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, underscored the critical role of the training programme in building the human capital necessary for the success of the metering rollout. "Behind every successful metering programme must stand thousands of competent, certified and dedicated technicians. The 5,000 young Nigerians being trained under this initiative will become the backbone of Nigeria's smart metering workforce," Tegbe said.
Tegbe also commended the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria for withdrawing a court action it had instituted against the meter deployment programme, noting that "that singular decision has removed a significant obstacle to the accelerated deployment of electricity meters across the country." The Minister of Youth Development, Ayo Olawande, described POWER FORCE as a direct support to his ministry's "One Youth, Two Skills" initiative, saying, "This is not just the launch of a training programme; it is about creating jobs and opportunities for Nigerian youths to contribute to national development." The Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas and Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative, Olu Arowolo Verheijen, described the PMI as the largest metering programme in Nigeria's history, established "to solve one of the biggest barriers to a reliable electricity sector: ensuring that every Nigerian pays only for the electricity they actually use." She added, "One young installer cannot transform Nigeria. But five thousand can inspire fifty thousand. And fifty thousand can inspire millions more. That is how movements begin. One opportunity. One person. One act of service at a time."
The POWER FORCE training programme will see the first batch of selected applicants undergo a three-week intensive practical and classroom training in Abuja, with plans to expand to various centres across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. Upon completion, trainees will receive formal certification by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency as qualified meter installers who have met national and international competence and safety standards. The initiative is being implemented under the Presidential Metering Initiative, which was launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 to address the metering gap in the power sector and improve revenue collection for electricity distribution companies. The flag-off ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr Ayo Gbeleyi, the Managing Director of NAPTIN, Mr Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, and the Managing Director of NEMSA, Mr Adesayo Olusegun Michael. The programme represents a significant step in the government's efforts to modernise Nigeria's electricity sector and create opportunities for young Nigerians to contribute to national development.
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