Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electrical Meters Manufacturing Company Ltd. (MEMMCOL), Metering School says opportunities in the power sector are endless for young Nigerians.
Such opportunities, according to him, can help in curbing unemployment in the country.
Balogun spoke on Friday during the graduation of 29 young Nigerians trained at the school in Mowe, Ogun.
They were trained on meter manufacturing, installation and maintenance as well as energy auditing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 12 of the graduands who are female were sponsored by Keystone Bank under its Keystone Bank Women Economic Empowerment Committee (KWEEC).
Balogun said: ” The opportunities in the power sector are limitless. Meter installation is just one aspect and you know we have a huge metering gap in the country.
“We have a responsibility to address the unemployment situation in the country today and one of the ways we are doing that is to subsidise our training and partner with other organisations to give opportunities to Nigerians.
” We commend Keystone Bank for sponsoring some of the graduands and we are appealing to other corporate organisations as well as state and local governments to also key into this initiative to positively engage our women and youths.”
He said stakeholders in the power sector were working on developing a framework for meter auditors and inspectors to handle tariff dispute between customers and electricity Distribution Companies.
Balogun advised the graduands to adhere to the ethics of the industry by not conniving with customers to engage in meter bypass and energy theft which were inimical to the growth of the power sector.
Also, Mrs Helen Maiyegun, Chairperson, KWEEC, said the committee was set up in line with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria for commercial banks to support empowerment of women in Nigeria.
Maiyegun said the beneficiaries were selected from Lagos, Kwara and Nasarawa States.
She said that the training was aimed at giving them opportunities to thrive in the power sector.
The chairperson noted that the metering gap in the country presented a huge opportunity for them, especially as the phase one of the National Mass Metering Programme would soon begin.
Maiyegun said: “The training for us (Keystone Bank) is critical because there are limitless opportunities here.
“We have been training women on skills acquisition such as catering, bead making, fashion design among
others but this time we decided to think outside the box and see how we can bring more women into the energy sector.
“When you empower a woman, you are empowering the nation and we will continue to monitor the graduands to ensure they meet their goals and aspirations.”
She charged them to be good ambassadors of Keystone Bank and Momas Metering School and utilise the training to better their lives.
Maiyegun urged them to contribute to national development.
On his part, Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, Chairman, Academic Board, Momas Metering School, said the two-week intensive training had equipped the graduands to add value to Nigeria and its economy.
Olorunfemi commended Keystone Bank for providing this unique opportunities for the female graduands and solicited for the sustenance of the programme.
Speaking on behalf of the graduands, Mrs Marian Marcus-Johnson, thanked Keystone Bank and Momas for facilitating the training.
She promised to positively utilise the knowledge imparted on them by the school.
(NAN)
