The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has expressed concern over the severe shortage of trained technicians in Nigeria’s power sector, revealing that more than 400,000 imported meters remain uninstalled due to a lack of qualified installers.
Speaking at the Nigeria Energy Conference in Lagos, Adelabu said the situation highlights the urgent need to train and certify local technicians to bridge the sector’s growing human capacity gap.
“We brought in over 500,000 meters last month. I’m telling you, we haven’t installed up to 100,000. Why? Because there are no installers. And we say youths are unemployed,” the minister lamented.
He added that if the government were to import all six million meters required to close Nigeria’s metering deficit today, installation could take as long as five years because of the shortage of skilled manpower.
“We don’t have meter installers in Nigeria. If we bring in all six million meters that represent the current gap, it will take us five years to install them. We need to train and certify technicians, that’s just one example of the challenges in the sector,” he explained.
Adelabu described the situation as part of a wider human capital crisis in the power industry, stressing that local capacity development is essential for sustainable progress.
“There are many activities within the sector that lack adequate human capacity. We must continue to train our people and develop local content from our own resources. Why must we keep importing?” he asked.
The minister recalled that technical training in the power sector has declined sharply since the days of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
He noted that the ministry recently commissioned new training equipment, simulation tools, and two workshop blocks with accommodations at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) to strengthen technical capacity. The facilities were established in partnership with international development agencies.
“The last major training for engineers was during the NEPA and PHCN eras. Since the successor companies took over, how much training have they provided? Certainly not as much as during the days of NEPA, PHCN, or even the old Electricity Company of Nigeria (ECN) in the 1960s,” he said.
Adelabu emphasized that capacity development remains central to the ministry’s reform agenda, adding that the government is prioritizing training across the entire energy value chain.
“To build expertise across all segments of the power value chain, we must train our people. That’s why we’re strengthening the activities of NAPTIN,” he noted.
The minister added that recent initiatives cover training in gas supply and transportation, power generation (hydro, thermal, and renewable sources), transmission, and distribution.
“We are committed to training our people in every aspect of the energy sector from gas to renewables to ensure a sustainable and efficient power industry,” Adelabu concluded.
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