President Bola Tinubu has launched Power Force, a national skills development programme aimed at training 5,000 young Nigerians as certified smart electricity meter installers, in a move designed to accelerate electricity metering, create jobs and strengthen ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s power sector.
The initiative, unveiled on Thursday, will be implemented through the Presidential Metering Initiative in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. According to a statement issued by the initiative, applications for the first cohort will open on July 4, with successful candidates receiving technical training, industry-recognised certification and pathways to employment or entrepreneurship within the electricity distribution value chain.
The programme forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to close the country’s metering gap, improve billing transparency and enhance the financial sustainability of electricity distribution companies.
Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Metering Initiative, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, said expanding access to smart metering would help address both technical inefficiencies and consumer confidence in electricity billing.
“Metering restores trust. When customers pay only for what they use, revenues improve, investment follows, and service gets better. Power Force helps us scale that progress faster,” she said.
The first phase of the programme will begin in Abuja later this month before expanding across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Participants will receive intensive technical instruction from the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), while certification and compliance standards will be supervised by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA).
Government officials described the programme as both an employment initiative and a strategic investment in strengthening the country’s electricity infrastructure.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the initiative would connect economic opportunities for young Nigerians with improved electricity access nationwide.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said developing skilled technical personnel remains essential to improving power sector performance, adding that investments in human capital would support long-term industry growth.
Meanwhile, Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande said the programme reflects the administration’s emphasis on equipping young people with marketable skills rather than relying on social welfare programmes.
Beyond job creation, the initiative is expected to support wider electricity sector reforms by reducing estimated billing, improving revenue collection, strengthening customer confidence and encouraging greater investment in metering infrastructure.
Applications for the inaugural Power Force cohort will remain open for two weeks from July 4, according to programme organisers, who said detailed eligibility requirements and application guidelines are available on the initiative’s official websites.
