Nigeria's federal government has announced plans to train 5,000 individuals, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), as electricity meter installers.
The initiative targets a critical infrastructure gap in the power sector, where a lack of functional meters has long hindered accurate billing and revenue collection for distribution companies.
The move comes as policymakers seek to operationalize recent reforms designed to stabilize the electricity market.
By expanding the pool of certified technicians, the government aims to accelerate the rollout of prepaid and postpaid meters, which are essential for reducing technical and commercial losses that have plagued the sector for years.
This development aligns with broader efforts to improve fiscal sustainability in Nigeria's energy infrastructure.
While financial analysts have previously warned that debt servicing could consume up to 90% of federal revenue, targeted investments in revenue-generating infrastructure like metering are seen as a pathway to improve cash flows for utilities without increasing the sovereign debt burden.