The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC has set a record in the country’s power sector of providing metres for at least 100,000 electricity consumers in the last 12 months across the five states of its operations, namely the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger.
Following public outcry over the menace of estimated billing by electricity distribution companies in Nigeria, the power sector came up with the Meter Asset Providers, MAP programme to fast track the metering of electricity consumers to eliminate the reported corruption in estimated bills.
MediaDimensions gathered that the other 10 electricity distribution companies are not anywhere close to the feat achieved by the AEDC which represents the installation of at least 273 new metres for electricity consumers every day in the last one year.
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT ISSUED BY AEDC TO CELEBRATE ITS ACHIEVEMENT
“We have metered 100,000 customers under MAP” – AEDC
AEDC’s metering performance under the meter asset provider scheme otherwise known as MAP reached a major milestone May 5th when the company metered the 100,000th customer. The MAP programme, a successor to the CAPMI and several other intervention schemes started in May 2019 as a power sector strategic initiative aimed at eliminating estimated billing and closing the metering gap. NERC puts the number of customers in Nigeria currently on estimated billing at 62.3%.
AEDC, in a press statement made available to the media, said the achievement is the result of a collaborative effort between AEDC Project team the three Meter Asset Providers (MAP) as well as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, which has always provided the broad policy guidelines for the execution of the project. The Meter Asset Providers are MOJEC International Metering Company Limited (FCT & Kogi State), Tubor Energy (Nasarawa State) and Meron Consortium covering Niger State.
AEDC’s Managing Director/CEO – Engr. Ernest Mupwaya who attributed the success so far recorded by the Company to the state-of-the-art ICT facilities as well as the simplified multiple meter application channels that allow customers to apply for meter from the comfort of their homes in any part of the world.
According to Engr. Mupwaya, immediately the Company commenced business in 2013, AEDC identified metering as a major success pillar for the reduction of ATC&C losses hence it has pursued it vigorously, putting in place all necessary infrastructure to ensure that as many customers as possible were metered within the shortest possible time. “From the beginning, we recognised the importance of metering of customers as one of the key strategic business initiatives we must pursue vigorously. This is what informed the several steps we had taken even before the commencement of MAP in May 2019. In order to speed up the MAP programme, we resorted to Mobile MAP Metering. It is this mobile approach coupled with the robust ICT infrastructure, support from the regulator, our MAPs as well as our project team that has helped us to reach this milestone.”
Speaking further, the MD/CEO said AEDC’s ICT infrastructure provided the platform for instant customer registration, site verification, payment and installation of prepaid meters within the ten working day period specified in the MAP regulation thus helping to speed up the metering process while retaining the central advantage of being metered with ease under the scheme.
The MAP scheme, has proven to be an effective tool that will help customers enjoy fair billing and better energy management. In realization of the fact that there is still a considerable amount of ground to be covered in ensuring that the metering gap is closed franchise-wide, the company continues to commit resources in ensuring the continued success of the scheme via its continuous customer engagement programmes and its properly configured and operational 24-hours customer service function which ensures real time responses and where assistance to customers seeking help any information about the scheme are provided.
Oyebode Fadipe,
General Manager
Corporate Communications
0906-280-2444
8th June, 2020.
@Dimensions_Live
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