300 unemployed youths get training on metering

In addressing youth unemployment and building sustainable human capacity development, Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL) has offered to train over 300 unemployed youths on an effective electricity metering programme scheme.

The move, the firm said, was to complement Federal Government’s effort on metering in the power sector.

Chairman, MEMMCOL, Engr. Kola Balogun, during an interactive session with journalists, said the idea was to extend the company’s corporate social responsibility to some states and develop manpower capability among unemployed youths in Nigeria. 

Balogun said that this would enable unemployed youths to benefit from the other value-added programmes of the Federal Government.

He said the initiative would also enhance the local production of meters and help to develop manpower skills needed for the installation of meters.

He said the free metering installation programme training for unemployed youths was selected from six geo-political zones, adding that the first phase will take two weeks with an offer to give a certificate to all participants. 

“Momas as a key stakeholder in the downstream of the power sector, we see the initiative as a viable way to create employment opportunities for our youths and timing is unprecedented given the fact that one of the complaints by the aggrieved youths doing the recent #EndSARS protest is unemployment.

“In addition to the training, we shall provide the trainees with kits, this will contain all the relevant tools for electricity meter installation, considering the quantity of the approved metres. There will be enough jobs for the youths and we would also engage them in the execution of some of our projects, “Momas boss added.

He said there is a need for the government to consider manpower skills in the installation of the metres as this will also go a long way to develop the youth and create job opportunities for them.

Balogun urged the state government and other legislators to support the initiative in building local capacity and manpower skills among youths than spending money on irrelevant projects. 

He urged others to inculcate this in their budget geared towards developing human skills capacity through the initiative. 

Balogun said that over 15 governors had indicated interest to send youths to Momas factory, adding that the training will commence at the Momas  Metering School Campus located at the Momas Factory, Orimerunmu, Mowe Ogun State on November 16.

It is be recalled that the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) has commenced the distribution of free electricity meters to Nigerians with simultaneous launch events of the scheme in Kano, Kaduna, Eko, and Ikeja DISCO franchise areas.

The programme was initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure mass metering with the hope of putting an end to the problem of estimated billing in the electricity sector.