*Local meter manufacturers risk exclusion
By Yusuf Yunus
PowerUp Nigeria, an electricity consumer right and a non-governmental organisation that advocates for right to accessibility of electricity, proper billing and strict adherence to the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, has called on the Procurement Management Unit of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to review the World Bank meter procurement bid.
Mr Adetayo Adegbemle, the Executive Director, PowerUp Nigeria who made the appeal in a statement in Lagos that if the World Bank meter procurement bid is not reviewed, indigenous local meter manufacturers risk exclusion.
The Business Intelligence Africa (TBI Africa) reports that PowerUp Nigeria has been at the forefront of advocacy for local meter manufacturers’ patronage, and development of local meter manufacturing capacity.
The advocacy group also believes that this particular provision is counter-productive, and should be reviewed downwards, as ultimately, adding that it is the consumer that continues to bear the brunt.
According to Adegbemle, after reviewing the advertorial by TCN PMU Department about the request for bids by meter manufacturers for the supply of 1.2 million meters via World Bank loan, the request for the bid has raised a lot of questions.
He questioned if the intention was to exclude indigenous local meter manufacturers from the project.
“From the RfB, there are 5 Lots in all, and each of the 5 Lots are asked to raise/submit bid security in US dollars.
“For instance, anyone applying for Lot 4 is to raise a bid security of $450, 000.
“Then when you interrogate the capacity of our local manufacturers, you want to know how many of the local manufacturers can easily scale this?
“Is their business this lucrative and profitable?
“Is the initial idea to just push out local manufacturers of meters?
Adegbemle said that local manufacturers are struggling to survive even those that are patronised for the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) are still being owed.
He added that history and experience, they say, is the best teacher.
He recapped that “It must be stated that we have had this kind of World Bank loan with similar conditions before(2012).
“However, none of the imported meters procured under that scheme are presently still in the system.
“Again, this is a World Bank loan that we are definitely repaying.
“It is therefore imperative that we also use this to deepen our local manufacturers capacity, ” Adegbemle emphasised.
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