Lagos targets increased local capacity to address metering gap

The Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, has said efforts are underway to develop a partnership with local meter manufacturers to bridge the huge metering gap in the State.

The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resource, Olalere Odusote, said instead of importing its way of out of the metering debacle, the Ministry is planning to work with local meter manufacturers to save Nigeria’s foreign exchange resulting from meter importation, while also creating job opportunities for the nation’s unemployed youths.

The Commissioner stated this at a facility tour of Mojec International Limited in Lagos.

“We intend to support them as best as we can. For Lagos State, most of what they have asked us is access to land and we have been looking for suitable lands that they can use within the state and we would also invest in them if they need it. What I have seen here is very impressive in the light that a local company is helping us to solve our local problem rather than trying to import our way out of the problem,” he said.

According to him, the State Government is working hard to ensure that Lagos is energy-sufficient.

“We do not mind working with other regions of the country, but if we can do it by ourselves we will be glad, and we believe companies like Mojec can help us achieve that dream,” he said.

He expressed concerns over the issue of estimated billing, saying that metering is extremely important to addressing this.

“We are also looking at harnessing our local talents because we noticed that a lot of the meter companies we have in Lagos have foreign partners. We are looking at finding local solutions to our problem. We believe that any meter we produce in Lagos can work anywhere in the country and export to the rest of the world. We are also looking at how we can bring the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) into Nigeria,” he added.

Responding, the Managing Director, Mojec International, Ms. Chantelle Abdul, urged the Lagos State Government to make available 50 hectares of land to develop the metering value chain.

“We need to expand because of the volume of meters we produce. Our request to the State is to partner with Mojec to give us at least 50 hectares of land, where half of it would be committed to what we need to do in metering and the support of the State is so crucial. We believe what is made-in-Nigeria can go outside Nigeria into other parts of Africa,” she said.

She reiterated the need to have an industrial park that produces not just meters, but panels, batteries while also developing local talents in the metering sector.

She decried the issue of meter importation into the country, stressing that it deters local investment in the metering sector.

She announced plans to double the local content involved in the production of its meters, which currently stands at 35 per cent, noting that it would go a long way to create wealth for Nigeria and job opportunities.