BY AKUDORO GLORIA 

Despite concerted calls to promote local content across various sectors, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is said to have awarded contracts worth over N160 billion to two Chinese companies to deliver meters into the country.

A statement issued on Monday by the President of the Association of Metre Manufacturers of Nigeria, Durosola Omogbenigun, also disclosed that despite the questionable contract execution performance in the first procurement by TCN, the agency has planned to embark on another World Bank procurement of 1.55 million metres from a foreign company.

The President of the Association’s statement came after TCN, through a World Bank loan, contracted two Chinese companies to supply 1.25 million metres, worth over $100 million.

He lamented at the pace of the contracts’ execution by the Chinese companies, noting that only 75,000 metres out of 1.25 million have been delivered so far.

According to him, TCN shunning local firms for foreign companies will contribute in no small measure to killing local manufacturing.

He said, “Before the execution of this procurement process, we advised the FGN, then in the last administration, to allow local metre manufacturers to participate in this transaction, and we had cogent reasons, but we were denied the opportunity.

“Since the commencement of this transaction, only 75,000 metres out of 1.25 million metres have been delivered by these Chinese companies. Those metres are still uninstalled, defeating the aim of resolving the liquidity crisis, which we, AMMON, are doing daily with no incentive or assistance from any quarters apart from our belief in our nation.

“Despite the dismal failure of the first foreign procurement, TCN is going ahead with another World Bank procurement of 1.55 million metres, which will contribute in no small measure to killing local manufacturing.”

Omogbenigun stressed on the indigenous companies having 100 per cent competence to deliver in electricity metre manufacturing, emphasized that from 2021 to 2024, local metre manufacturers produced N353.7 billion worth of electricity metres.

“The contribution made by local metre manufacturers, especially from 2021 to 2024, was achieved at the cost of N353.7 billion (at today’s price for single- and three-phase metres and excluding the CBN-funded NMMP Project of 850,000 metres). This amount was financed by LMMA/MAPs locally,” it added.

The Association called on the federal government to prioritize local manufacturers.

“Nigeria’s metering industry is a cornerstone of national development, and with the right policy support, it can graduate from early-stage manufacturing to full manufacturing, thereby positioning Nigeria as a regional export hub under AfCFTA.

“Mr. President, your leadership inspires confidence and renews hope in Nigeria’s industrial future. We pledge our full cooperation and continued dedication to the success of your administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” AMMON said.

Recently, TCN/PMU, the department in the Transmission Company of Nigeria, signed a contract with two Chinese companies to supply 1.25 million metres at the whopping cost of over 100 million USD using loans from the World Bank.