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‎By Onu Okorie

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‎Federal Government has flagged off the Power Force Programme (PFP) — a new training scheme designed to build a workforce of certified technicians who will drive the mass rollout of electricity meters across the country.

‎Speaking at the official launch, under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the programme would train 5,000 young Nigerians who are expected to become the backbone of the country’s smart metering workforce, ensuring that meters installed nationwide meet required technical and safety standards.

‎Tegbe described the shortage of skilled manpower as one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of government’s drive to close Nigeria’s metering gap. He noted that meters “do not install themselves” and that a successful rollout depends on thousands of competent, certified technicians on the ground.

‎The programme is a collaboration between the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the PMI, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), electricity distribution companies, and development partners.

‎According to the minister, the initiative goes beyond technical training. He said it is also designed to create jobs, equip young people with future-ready skills, support local content development and stimulate economic growth, framing the government’s electricity reforms as being about people and opportunity, not just equipment and infrastructure.

‎Tegbe linked the skills push to the sector’s long-running liquidity problems, arguing that inadequate metering has denied the industry the revenue certainty needed to attract investment and improve service delivery. Where consumption cannot be accurately measured, he said, revenue cannot be reliably collected, investment declines and infrastructure suffers as a result.

‎The minister also welcomed the recent withdrawal of a court case filed by the Association of Meter Asset Providers of Nigeria (AMMON), calling it a major breakthrough that clears a significant hurdle to accelerated meter deployment nationwide.

‎He commended AMMON, the PMI, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) for the dialogue that resolved the dispute.

‎Addressing the first cohort of trainees directly, Tegbe urged them to approach the training with discipline and professionalism, telling them their new skills would shape both their own careers and Nigeria’s broader economic transformation.