By Akinola Ajibade
Nigeria's metering sub sector may collapse on account of skills deficiency, the Chief Executive officer, Momas Electrical Meters Manufacturing Company Limited (MEMMCOL), Mr Kola Balogun, has said.
He said the country may find it difficult to sustain the sub-sector, if it fails to urgently addressed the problem.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony of North East Development Commission (NEDC) beneficiaries from MOMAS Metering school recently, he said that the need for Nigeria to boost local capacity in metering segment of the industry is key to its growth.
News Mirror reports that no fewer than 150 youths in the North-Eastern part of the country were empowered in the partnership deal with the metering company.
Balogun said:”This is why programme such as this is inevitable for virtually all the agencies.We must set aside investment for skills acquisition. If we do not train our youths, our future is not sustained.We identified thel opportunities in the power sector and decided to empower these youths with technical-know how to install meters in the country,” he said.
He disclosed that the German Government is planning to support his company with funds to establish a bigger metering school in Nigeria with a view to boosting the capacity in the area of metering.
He said the metering school will also be collaborating with the Minesota State University to extend all its programmes to innovations and designs.
“We are not just all about technicalities, but about values. We want to change the perception about Nigeria. We are skilled, but we are losing values because the system is not taking care of citizen. What is working now is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to bring out all those values that are dying bit by bit,” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said the NEDC engaged the services of Momas Metering School (MMS) to train 150 youths from the North East on the theory, practical skills and regulations of Energy Meters Installations and Electrical Building Installations as part of its youth empowerment programme.
Alkali,who was represented at the event by the Deputy General Manager, Education, NEDC, Hajia Fatima Ciroma,explained that the training specifically aims to produce certified installers and technicians for electricity meter installations to meet the demand of Meter Asset Provider (MAP) and National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) as approved by the Federal Government.
He said:”Beyond the technical aspect of the training, the module also trained students on how to start a start-up and become entrepreneurs.The training, is beneficial to the North East and is in line with the commission’s commitment to help reduce unemployment and increase skilled labour and workforce in the North East as well as the Commission’s mandate regarding human capacity development as a tool for eradicating poverty in the North East”.
He explained that the commission’s partnership with the MOMAS training school covers tuition, accommodation, feeding, upkeep, personal protective equipment (PPE), customized tools bag with tools, course materials as well as extra-curricular activities whilst the training school provided the technical component.
He added:”The 150 participants were drawn from the six north east states to attend the training. Even though we are graduating 149 trainees here today, we are immensely impressed that all of you here remained steadfast and received valuable knowledge that will assist you in your future.
“I implore all of you graduating today to go back home and utilise the skills you have learnt. You have all become certified electricians and I am sure the demand for electrical services would never be limited in your various communities. However, let me appeal to you, show honesty, hard work and commitment in all that you are involved in so that your growth and development will be limitless”.
He said NEDC is committed to all initiatives that can facilitate the redevelopment and revitalization of the North East, maintaining that the key to recovery in the North East lies in the quality of human resource it can produce in the long term.
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