The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has said it plans to start the training of 4000 meter installers in the first quarter of 2026 in collaboration with the Presidential Metering Initiative.

The Managing Director of NAPTIN, Ahmed Nagode, said this at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting with the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting, with the theme ”Building Skilled Manpower for a Sustainable Power Sector,” was on enhancing vocational training delivery for the power sector in Nigeria.

Mr Nagode said that NAPTIN was working with the Presidential Metering to train the 4000 meter installers to close the country’s metering gap.

“This is one of the good programmes coming up from this government to make sure that we have installers ready for the meters.

“We are going to start the first batch hopefully in the first quarter of 2026. By the time we are done with this training, we will be able to cover the gap in the area of meter installation.

“I must commend President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, for this initiative,” he said.

According to him, the stakeholders’ engagement was not just about programmes or presentations but renewed connection between NAPTIN and the industry it serves.

Mr Nagode said that the meeting was also about training and real workforce needs, vision and execution.

He said that over the past few years, and particularly in recent months, NAPTIN had been undergoing significant institutional renewal, strengthening its infrastructure.

The managing director said it was also expanding its training portfolio, deepening its research and consultancy offerings, and aligning more closely with industry realities.

“However, we are all aware of an important truth: transformation that is not clearly communicated is often unseen, misunderstood, or undervalued. Progress without visibility can easily be mistaken for stagnation.

“Today’s engagement is an open invitation to dialogue, to partnership, and to shared ownership of Nigeria’s power-sector future. We look forward to your insights, your feedback, and your collaboration as we continue this journey together.”

He acknowledged the support of NAPTIN development partners, the European Union (EU) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), for their funding and strategic support under the Enhancing Vocational Training Delivery for the Nigerian Power Sector Project.

Mr Nagode also commended the outstanding work of Explicit Communications Limited, whic played a strategic role in helping NAPTIN to find its voice clearly, confidently and consistently.

“They have translated complex reforms into compelling stories. They have communicated NAPTIN’s evolving mandate to diverse audiences: industry operators, regulators, policymakers, development partners, and the general public in a professional, credible, and engaging manner,” he said.

On his part, Director of Training, NAPTIN, Abdulahi Aliyu, said the institute’s focus was based on the training needs and skill gaps identified in the power sector.

Mr Aliyu said that NAPTIN training spanned the sub-sectors in the power sector, which include generation, transmission, distribution and renewable energy.

He stated, “Our major focus is to ensure that we have a skilled manpower in the power sector and to upskill those that are yet to be skilled.”

Also, Managing Director of Explicit Communications Limited, Tunde Thani, said that one of the reasons for the engagement was for stakeholders to see the development and growth in NAPTIN.

Mr Thani said that the engagement was to enable stakeholders to key into the programmes of NAPTIN, especially in the area of skills development for their staff, and to achieve the president’s agenda for the development of the power sector.

According to him, NAPTIN has a focus and is dealing not just with Nigeria but with the EU and AFD, both of which have standards and driven by vision.

“They are running according to their vision and according to the vision of President, Bola Tinubu, particularly in the area of skill development for a sustainable power sector in Nigeria,” he said.

One of the stakeholders, Director, Special Duties, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Diyaudeen Hassan, said that what was needed in the country was skilled labour to drive the industry and the nation forward.

Mr Hassan, who is also the Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Idris Bugaje, said that different models had been tried, and it had been realised that skills remained the way forward in Nigeria in terms of development.

“NAPTIN is a key critical stakeholder in skills development, and NBTE has been partnering with the institute to achieve success,” he said.

(NAN)