Electricity Meter companies in Nigeria under the Association of Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers Nigeria (AMMON) urged President Bola Tinubu to ban foreign companies from bidding for the manufacturing of electricity meters organized by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
This was disclosed by the association’s Secretary, Durosola Omogbenigun, in Abuja, they also urged FG not to use the World Bank’s $155 million for the importation of electricity meters into the country.
AMMON said it wants foreign bids banned due to the nature of the bidding process which they say highly favors foreign companies.
Bidding process
The association said the TCN scheme which aims to close the metering gap in Nigeria’s electricity sector favours foreign companies citing the evaluation criteria opening is designed to eliminate Nigerian meter manufacturers.
They revealed that TCN in a tender publication, unveiled requirements for bidders to apply for the World Bank’s 155 projects, under the Nigeria Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which requires stringent requirements before a vendor could access the loan and affects local manufacturers
they said:
- “ Consequently, indigenous manufacturers have insisted that implementing the policy will mean taking away Nigerian jobs and depriving the economy of the benefits the loan was meant to bring.”
Local manufacturers
Omogbenigun added funds should rather be made available to local meter manufacturers who could produce the meters, adding that granting foreign companies the license to bring in fully-built meters at a zero import duty would cripple the sector.
- “We found out that the evaluation criteria by way of turnover, cash flow, and experience for the bid seem to be designed to eliminate the local manufacturers.
- “Our interest today is to quickly state that this World Bank project is inimical to the growth of the manufacturing sector and the progress that has been made in the local content policy, as stated in executive order 003 of 2017.
- “It also negates the gains that have been achieved in backward integration, technology transfer, and employment within the industry.“
Local capacity
Association Treasurer, Mr Ifeanyi Okeke, and Chief Executive Officer of Holley Metering Limited said the local meter manufacturers could meet the 1.2 million metering target of the World Bank loan, adding:
- “We are not against World Bank-funded projects but the fund should be channelled in such a way that it will catalyze employment for Nigerians,” he said.
We cannot continue to play politics with science, technology and national infrastructure development. Metering at the Transmission level defines the Overall Electricity market. If our local manufacturing capacity and competence is yet to catch up with the level of standards required then we should import. should we compromise quality? The argument of capital flight applies to every good quality item we use in Nigeria, luxury or Bullet proof vehicles, High-end phones, Telecoms equipments, Hospital, Health and Safety equipments..etc the Metering sector has a deficit of more than fifty million potential units to satisfy and more opportunities to grow. The High end meters and specific functionalities to monitor lines parameters , feeders and power quality and even give real time diagnosis , flag anomalies on time , monitor behaviour through AI etc is required in transmission network of TCN. We do not have that capacity yet. Let us not just buy the meters but Engage experienced ,proven, and valid operators who will maintain a long enough Warranty on functional meters. Nigeria has spent too much on substandard products frequently dumped through collusive corrupt practices in procurement design and purchasing .Enough is Enough please.
I agree with you opinion 100%