The Chief Executive Officer of Century Power Generation Limited, Dr. Chukwueloka Umeh has implored the Federal government to empower indigenous companies to drive its ongoing National Mass Metering Programme in the country.
He spoke in Lagos yesterday where he said doing so would ensure that the programme which is aimed at metering 30 million consumers in two years,would be run efficiently with reasonable capital retention in the country.
Government, he said, should not procure the meters under the programme, but local manufacturers of meters should be given requisite leverage to enable them ramp up production in order to meet the demands.
He advocated the need for the creation of an enabling environment where Nigerian manufacturers can grow, and if people want to import meters, the market is big enough.
Umeh, who is also the Chief Operating Officer of the Nestoil Group, on the tariff increment said although power consumers complained about paying more for darkness, they have to be patient as it will unfortunately take time for them to see the value of the tariff increment.
He said all issues across the whole value chain of the power sector must be resolved simultaneously and on a large scale, not one after the other, if Nigerians are to get regular electricity supply in the foreseeable future.
He implored the government to find a way to grow the income of the populace by creating a conducive investment climate so that small, medium and large businesses can grow, thereby putting more money in Nigerians’ pockets.
President Muhammadu Buhari had committed that Nigerians would be metered before the end of his administration and that estimated billing would be ended.
