Firms launch mobile meter program in Kaduna

Smart Meters Company in collaboration with Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has launched its Mobile Meter Program (MAP) in a bid to connect as many customers as possible in 2023.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Alhaji Ibrahim Babagana while speaking at the MAP launch in Kaduna over the weekend assured that despite the challenges with the fluctuations of foreign exchange, the company will import 4000 meters from China, expected to arrive in March 2023.

He said, “Our intent in 2023 is to bring in 20,000 meters and by the time the 4,000 meters come in, we are going to make orders for the remaining 16,000 meters. We hope to sell all the meters through our collaboration with Kaduna Electric.

“We want to enter into an agreement with our main customer, Kaduna Electric and work out creative means of attracting finance so that we can deliver these meters to your customers. One of the ways of doing this is to come up with some form of vendor financing whereby customers can pay for the meters in installments instead of paying upfront, especially with the current economic crisis many are facing.

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He appealed to the management of Kaduna Electric to support the company in order to massively meter customers and bridge the metering gap being experienced in the country saying, “There will not be any complaints in the company and it will also make the work of the staff of the company easier in terms of their activities.”

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kaduna Electric, Engineer Yusuf Usman Yahaya said out of the 23 generation plants in the country, only nine are producing 71 per cent of the power supply being distributed in the country.

Represented by the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Ocholi Ausa, the MD said the customer base of the company is between 600,000 to 700,000 even with its franchise in four states including Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states.