L Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), Nigeria’s leading electricity
distribution company, has trained 140 employees to boost metering density and meter management across its network.
Speaking during the presentation of certificates to the
graduands, the Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric, Folake Soetan, said Ikeja
Electric Metering Academy was launched in 2020 as a result of shortage in human
capacity for the installation of meters, resulting in slow pace of metering
across its network.
The CEO who was represented by Chief Financial Officer (CFO),
Ikeja Electric, Mrs. Sequinat Akinwunmi, said the training was done in
collaboration with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN)
and the Energy Training Centre (ETC).
According to her, the young graduands were selected across
Ikeja Electric’s six Business Units – Akowonjo, Shomolu, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Oshodi
and Ikorodu. Akinwunmi said the essence of the training was to bridge the
metering gap in the industry which aligns with the vision of Ikeja Electric, as
well as the Federal Government’s National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP). “The programme
will also equip staff to carry out the functions including meter installation,
identifying faults and also rectifying the faults. This will in turn improve
service delivery, ensure customer satisfaction, and also grow revenue,” she
added.
“This programme is very important to us. That is why we have
put in a lot of resources and time, and also partnered with NAPTIN and ETC to
close up this skill gap in the industry,” Akinwunmi further explained. While
congratulating the graduating students, she tasked them to be worthy
ambassadors of Ikeja Electric and adhere to safety standards which is one of
the DisCo’s core values.
The Managing
Director, Energy Training Centre, Mrs. Ibiene Okeleke said: “Ikeja Electric had
invested heavily in the Metering Academy. They partnered with Energy Training
Centre (ETC) to ensure the 140 candidates were trained by the Metering Academy,
across three batches.
According to her,
“The Energy Training Centre had signed a partnership with NAPTIN, which is the
sector’s regulated training centre that works with Nigerian Electricity
Regulatory Commission (NERC). So, NAPTIN was acting as the certifying body, and
as such, they ensured that the programme followed the curriculum and the right
content, and there is quality assurance as well. And so NAPTIN did not just
play this role in certifying, they ensured that the faculty maintained high
standard.”
She commended Ikeja
Electric for investing massively in such a laudable programme, while noting
that the initiative shows the commitment of the company to get people who have
the desire to do things the right way. She added, “It was also important for us
to reflect on the opportunities to increase the revenue of IE through meter data
management, optimization of operations and other initiatives.”
The Director-General, NAPTIN, Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode,
explained that the institute was saddled with the responsibility to build human
capacity and to coordinate training in the power sector. He said the training would
also help to shore up the DisCo’s revenue collection and improve customer
satisfaction, apart from increasing the level of efficiency of the graduands,
Speaking on behalf of the graduating students, Mr. Akingbade
Adeniyi, Mr Tomilayo Oluborode and Ms. Gloria Gomina, thanked Ikeja Electric
for facilitating the training. According to them, they have been equipped on how
to install meters, identify meter bypass and meter management among other
things which would improve their job performances going forward.
-ENDS-
L-R, Managing
Director, Energy Training Centre (ETC), Mrs. Ibiene Okeleke; Energy Sales
Representatives in Akowonjo Business Unit/one of the graduands of ETC, Mr. Akingbade Adeniyi; Chief Financial
Officer (CFO), Ikeja Electric, Mrs. Sequinat Akinwunmi and Director-General, National
Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode during the
presentation of certificates to IE’s Energy Training (ETC)
graduands on Thursday in Lagos.
