The Electricity Meter Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (EMMAN) has urged Federal Government to liberalise meter market to allow members sell directly to individuals, corporate organisation and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approves vendors.

Executive Secretary of EMMAN, Mr Muyideen Ibrahim, said that the only way to ensure effective distribution of meters to electricity consumers is when meter manufacturers are allowed to sell meters to government institutions, private estates and barracks.

He said that this will, no doubt, create market for EMMAN members and also increased production.

Ibrahim said: “Government should liberalise meter market so that individual can also buy meters from approved NERC vendors and installers. If the market is liberalised more electricity customers will be metered and it will go a long way in addressing crazy bills and estimated billing system.

“Because some of distributions companies are not willing to gives meters to customers that is why government should allow meter manufacturers to sell meters directly to the consumers. Government should also create enabling environment for manufacturers to excel, it’s only the distribution companies that manufacturers can sell to, because most meters have been engraved with manes.

According to Ibrahim, more Nigerians would be gainfully employed because there will be expansion and continuous production.

He added: “Estimation billing is the other of the day, whereas, soft landing is not giving to consumers who are willing to buy meters because they are not metered. Meter supplied should be separated from meter installation to enable prompt payment after supply and delivery of meters have been certified by the National Meter Test Station (NMST).”

Ibrahim urged government to create and make available of five per cent special intervention fund for local electricity meter manufacturers so that locally produced meters can be sold to distribution companies at very competitive price like China.

He said that standing work order and upfront payment should be made for the manufacturers in order to keep the factories running.

The scribe stated that members would continue to contribute their quota to the development of power in particular and to the entire nation in general through development and manufacturing of high quality products.

He said that EMMAN would ensure massive employment, gross domestic products, foreign direct investment, technology that is proudly Nigerians.

Others are development of electricity components, skills acquisition, continuous software development that can energy theft, after sales services, robust integrated service and enhancement of power industry.

Ibrahim said that members are faced with low patronage from the distribution companies, adding that as a result of this, members laid off staff and quite unfortunate.

He said that some members had stopped producing because the stocks were not evacuated because major consumers of their meters are distribution companies, adding that most of them not buy from them.