Akwa Ibom seeks to solve Nigeria's power problems with new metre manufacturing plant

AKWA Ibom State government is looking to help resolve Nigeria's perennial power supply problems by opening a metre manufacturing factory in the state along with technical partners from China and India.

 

To be located in Awa near Iman, in Onna Local Government Area of the state, the new plant will have Indian, Pakistani and Chinese partners. To be known as Metering Solutions Manufacturing Services Limited (MSMSL), the company, whose ground breaking ceremony was performed in December, is expected to become operational later this year.

 

Over the week, shareholders in the company met with Akwa Ibom State governor Udom Emmanuel, at Government House in Uyo to brief him on progress so far. MSMSL spokesperson Zhang Loohang, said the company, which has just arrived Africa, is cited in state because of its strategic location in the Gulf of Guinea.

 

He attributed its establishment to the passion for making electricity available and affordable in the state by Governor Emmanuel, stating that electricity holds the key to industrialisation, which the state governor seeks to put in place for his people. Mr Loohang added that MSMSL is a conglomerate, which would proffer solutions to problems arising from electricity generation and distribution.

 

Furthermore, Mr Loohang added that the company, when operational, will produce single phase and three phase electricity metres in various configurations. He said it will also manufacture mountings, light weight, slim skeletal, compact metres for pole top installation, pre-payment metres, split metres, standard one unit electricity metres, bulk electricity metres, maximum demand metres and smart electricity metres.

 

According to Mr Loohang, the company is designed as a high technology hub for production, testing and servicing of electricity metres and allied products. He added that it has room for expansion in a modular fashion for additional production lines to develop and assemble various models of electricity metres and accessories.

 

In addition, Mr Loohang assured that the firm would help electricity distribution companies to check theft, non-payment, unreliable billing, consumer resistance, loss of revenue and also ensure the availability of Nigeria-based products. He added that these locally manufactured products will be of high quality and accessible to customers and the company will also create high tech, non oil related employment thereby making a strong contribution to the economic upliftment of the region.