The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says the federal government has released N12.7 billion to provide meters in Army barracks nationwide.

The amount is from the N40 billion earmarked for the mass metering project.

Bolaji Tunji, the minister’s spokesman, said this in a statement on Monday.

The minister said this during the flag-off of the metering exercise at the Headquarters of the 9th Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ikeja Military Cantonment.

Mr Adelabu said the exercise would be in phases, with the Ikeja cantonment being the first phase. He said the exercise would last six weeks before the second phase begins.

“Mass metering in army formations nationwide will enable us to know what is being consumed on a monthly basis in order to ensure appropriate billings and ease collections.

”The overall intention is to eliminate and make estimated billing a thing of the past,” the minister said, indicating that the current exercise is part of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda to ensure regular electricity supply to army formations nationwide.

Mr Adelabu added, “This is one of Mr President’s objectives as contained in the renewed hope agenda to ensure that electricity supply to the armed forces is prioritised and they do not suffer, especially in the enjoyment of public utilities.”

Mr Adelabu said the smart meters installed are tamper-proof and would eliminate energy theft. He said it would be difficult to bypass the meter, which also comes with an app where customers can get statements of their consumption every month.

He explained that the meter allows interconnectivity between the grid and the off-grid solar power supply.

The minister said part of the country’s energy blueprint included building off-grid power sources, such as solar energy, for military barracks located in remote areas without grid supply.

He also mentioned that where there was a grid supply, there would be an interchange between the grid and solar supply if the number of hours supplied by the distribution companies was not satisfied.

”Beyond metering, we have to prioritise electricity supply to the barracks,” he said.

Mr Adelabu said the metering project would be extended to all military formations in the country to provide 24-hour power supply to the barracks.

Also speaking, Ashade Olatunbosun, CEO of De Haryor Global Services, said the second phase of the project would begin simultaneously in Abuja and Enugu.

He said military formations across the 11 DisCos would benefit from the exercise.

“Army formations in Jos, Abuja, Ibadan, Enugu, Kaduna, Ikeja and Eko DisCos will benefit from the exercise,” Mr Olatunbosun said.

Maj.-Gen. A. Adetuyi, the commander of the 9th Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ikeja, said that the federal government metering initiative was timely as the brigade headquarters has been getting an epileptic power supply over time.

Mr Adetuyi said that in the investigation, he found out that the brigade was only given three hours of electricity daily, and on some days, they did not even get supplies.

(NAN)