The Federal Government through the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has inaugurated a Meter Generation Museum/Gallery at the National Meter Test Station, Oshodi, Lagos State.
Mr Iyali Peter, the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of State for Power, Mr Goddy Jedy-Agba made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
The minister, while inaugurating the project said that the museum/gallery was designed to showcase the evolution path of electricity meter in the country.
He said the evolution was done from a simple electro-mechanical electricity meter to Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) “is considered the first of its kind in Africa”.
Jedy-Aagba said the project was aimed at educating Nigerians on how electricity meters used to be during the pre-independence era.
”The several evolution steps as a result of technological advancement, where it is now and a perception of what it is expected to be in the future, ”he said.
He said that the establishment of the museum/gallery had brought the historical time-line of electricity meter generation closer to Nigerians and the world at large.
Jedy-Agba said that the facility would be used as a collaborative launch-pad in the power sector for lecturers, students, tourists and electricity users to enhance their knowledge in evolution of meters.
He said that the inauguration was significant and represented a milestone in the realisation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s objective.
Earlier, Mr Tahir Aliyu, NEMSA Managing Director said that the project was a unique milestone in the history of the agency.
Aliyu said that the importance of the energy meter in the electricity value chain “cannot be overemphasised”.
He said that it had evolved from simple billing devices to an essential part of electricity network which monitors and helps with load management.
The minister said that the agency intended to set up similar galleries of generation of electricity energy meters in other National Meter Test Stations in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Kano and Benin.
”It is our fervent belief that with today’s event, NEMSA will further create awareness on the importance of electricity meters in homes.
” What to look for in the meters and ultimately educate Nigerians on the need to insist on having only metres duly tested by NEMSA with attached NEMSA crimp seals, ”he said.