Patronize indigenous metre manufacturers, Rep tells FG, DISCOs

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

To encourage indigenous metre manufacturer in Nigeria, a member of the house committee of power at the National Assembly, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa has urged the ministry of power and the new management of all Electricity Distribution Companies to promote and patronized local meter manufacturers.

Abike-Erewa speaking during a facility tour to Momas Metre Manufacturing Company Limited (MOMCOL) at the weekend in Lagos, said the only way to ensure economic growth in Nigeria is when local Small and Medium Entrepreneurs are encourage and patronized, adding that Nigeria has the best meter manufacturing company in Nigeria and there is no need importing metre to the country.

“Despite efforts by local companies to manufacture energy metres, we still go ahead to import metre, this is indeed very bad to our system, it will be a big shame if we do not make use of locally anufactured

meter in our own country.

“We will discuss this on the floor of the house to enforce local content patronage in metre manufacturing companies,” Dabiri-Arewa said.

She said that all DISCOs in Nigeria should ensure that all its customers are metered to avoid estimated billing and overbilling as it often complaints by customers.

The lawmakers said that the legislators we ensure that local content is embedded in Power sector just as it were done in the oil and gas sector.

“We are going to invite all parties involves be it DISCOs owners, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), ministry of power and all stakeholders to know why local manufacturer are not been patronized.

MEMECOL chairman, Engr. Kola Balogun, who lamented the poor patronage of the products by government agencies and companies, said that the low patronage was stifling the growth of local industries. “Indigenous manufacturers do not get enough patronage from government ministries and that is why our economy is not growing,“ he said.

“The story of poor patronage is still the same in metre manufacturing where foreign firms are better patronized and recognized by government agencies.

“I can confidently say that we local manufacturers of metres can meet our supply needs, “he said.

“I can tell you that our company has 100 per cent local content in the manufacture of meters.

“Even all our operations and the production processes are managed by Nigerians,“ he said.

Balogun said that most manufacturers are faced with bank issues when money borrowed to run a business are not paid on time as slated.

He said that meter installation is faced with policy somersault mated , adding that most new owner had stopped local meter manufacturer from supplying metre in anticipation to import metre from outside the country.