Business
Fashola outlines gains of new metering policy
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has outlined the gains inherent in government’s new metering policy, the Meter Asset Provider policy, MAP, saying it will ease the financial pressure facing electricity distribution companies in the country.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, introduced MAP Regulations, last year to eliminate estimated billing practice, attract private investments into the provision of metering services, and close the metering gap through accelerated meter rollout.
Fashola spoke on the gains of the new policy at the inauguration of a chemical and engineering laboratory at Ijora-Olopa, Lagos.
The laboratory was upgraded and remodelled by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency.
“Essentially, this is an upgraded, properly fitted laboratory to help the agency in charge of enforcing safety compliance do its job, and that should translate to a better service delivery across the entire value chain,” he said.
Read also: Federation Account revenue to FG, states, LGs decline by N164bn in Dec
On the new metering policy, the minister said: “We have a policy on metering, the Meter Asset Provider policy, which allows new businesses to enter the metering area. Just in the way the Gencos and Discos were licensed, we are going to license them too as meter asset providers in the value chain of power supply.
“This will relieve the pressure on the finances of Discos to supply meters. It does not discharge them of the contractual obligation that they have to do so. But we know that they are challenged by financing; we think that we can open this business up for new operators to come in. At this moment, 108 companies have applied and they are going through the process of being certified by NERC and so on and so forth. So, the policy is now playing out.”
Speaking further, Fashola said when the companies begin to operate, they are going to employ people, including technicians and installers, who are going to be trained.
“Many of them have been trained by the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria. As this policy kicks in, we are going to see a lot of employment opportunities.”
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