The Federal Government has unveiled plans to train 5,000 young Nigerians, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), as electricity meter installers and technicians as part of efforts to bridge the country’s metering gap and create jobs in the power sector.
President Bola Tinubu disclosed the initiative on Thursday, July 2, in a statement posted on his official X account, describing the programme as part of the administration’s drive to expand employment opportunities while improving electricity service delivery
The announcement comes barely two weeks after the Federal Government unveiled plans to deploy seven million electricity meters nationwide in a renewed push to eliminate estimated billing and improve transparency in electricity billing.
According to the President, the training programme will be implemented through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), a government programme established to close Nigeria’s metering gap, eliminate estimated billing, protect electricity consumers and strengthen the country’s power market.
Under the initiative, 5,000 young Nigerians will be trained as meter installers and technicians through The Power Force, equipping them with the skills required to support the nationwide rollout of electricity meters.
Tinubu said the programme is designed to provide participants with practical technical skills while connecting them to employment opportunities in a sector that directly affects households, businesses and communities across the country.
The President added that the programme would be open to Nigerians who have completed their secondary school education, with a portion of the available slots reserved for members of the National Youth Service Corps.
He noted that wider access to electricity meters would ensure consumers are billed only for the energy they consume, while improving revenue collection by electricity distribution companies and enabling greater investment in infrastructure and service delivery.