Entrepreneurs float indigenous coy to bridge metering gap

A team of entrepreneurs has floated an indigenous electricity metering company to bridge the metering gap in the country.

According to the managing director of Smart Meters Company Limited, Malam Ibrahim Babagana, the company can produce 1.5 million meters annually.

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Speaking during the collection of its MANCAP certificate and Logo from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at the company’s premises along Kaduna-Zaria road, he said the company intends to target the four distribution companies in its catchment area in the supply of STS-compliant meters as well as SAD and CKD meters.

He noted that the smart metres accurately measure and collect power consumption data from the data back to the disCos and to the consumers as well. 

“We went through the process together with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and they found us worthy of this certification which means our metres conform with Nigeria’s industrial standards and we are very grateful. 

With “the current capacity, based on the current assembly line, we will be able to produce annually, 1.5 million metres, which means 6,000 per day.”

On local content input in their production, he said, “One of the things we are looking at is to start producing the meter boxes domestically within the country. 

“We already have plans on how the factory will look and we have already started engaging with our technical partners in China for the machines and we have started exploring with chemical companies on what can be done so that by the time we take off, we are sure that we are going to have everything on the ground.

“Secondly, we also want collaboration on how the screws and buttons that are imported in wholesale, can be produced locally.”

Presenting the certificate, the Kaduna State Coordinator, SON, Kasim Mohammed Yahaya, said the company has fulfilled all compliance regulatory requirements.