Garba
The National Mass Metering Programme, NMMP, phase 1 will inject 4 million meters into the metering System come August 2022.
The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission, NERC, Sanusi Garba, made this known during an interactive section with Newsmen after the second Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, meeting on Wednesday in Lagos.
“45 local Meter manufacturers submitted bids, we are assessing them, by the end of this month the successful bids will be mobilsed to start supplying meters. So by the end of August, we should be seeing local meters manufactured in- Country going into the metering system”, he said.
This, will increase the supply of meters across the country. So that unmetered customers will be metered.
The NMMP Phase 1 according to him is aimed at building in-country (local) capacity across the country. As local meter manufacturers are encouraged to bid for supply of locally manufactured meters.
He further stated that there will be improvement in electricity supply across the country come July 1, 2022 as all the stakeholders in the Electricity Value chain have come together address the challenges with regards to increased power supply.
“So, what has happened now is, with the support of government, with the support of CBN and so on, with all the receivables that are available to distribution companies, we have sufficient resources to ensure all the contracts are signed and payments will be made as and when due”, he added.
“So, what we are trying to do is, consumers require the service, the Discos should commit to buying this electricity from those who are generating it and Gencos that are generating the power must commit to buy the fuel to generate that electricity and the only way it can be done and in a sustainable manner is if it underpinned by contracts and if any of the market participants defaults, then obviously, there will be consequences for not providing what you said you will do. That is the basic explanation of what we to take effect from first of July”, he stressed.
“We are going to start with 5000mw. Discos will commit to buy and Gencos will commit to generate and ensure that gas is there to provide this power. So, there will no stories of I don’t have gas to produce. Now, not only do now commit to 5000mw in July, will also see an opportunity to increase that contracted volumes from 5000 to 5,500 and 6000 mw. So, Nigerians can see a trajectory of an improvement not just maintaining what we have and the only way to make it is to get stability first and then assess if we have the infrastructure to ramp up to 5,500 to 6000, 7000mw”, maintained the chairman .
