The BEDC Electricity Plc (BEDC) has turned out another set of 60 graduate trainees and 74 technician trainees, in its quest to improve service delivery to customers and bridge skills gap in the power sector.
The Disco also announced the take-off locations for the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme in Delta state.
A statement quoted its Managing Director/CEO, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, to have made these known at the 4th in the series of graduation for the trainees held at the Crescendo Conference Center, Asaba.
The take-off locations, which would be handled by Inlaks Power Solution sequentially, based on location, street by street basis are: Government House and Cabinet area, Express, Anwai, SPC, Ezenei, SIO all around Asaba Township and Headbridge.
Osibodu, said BEDC believes that the recruitment of new and additional workforce and training of staff would help improve service delivery to customers and also build capacity in the power sector.
“Our yearly churn out of new employees under the Graduate Management Trainee and Technician Trainee schemes continue to grow as we lead in the drive to bridge the capacity and skills gap in the power sector.
“Our goal is to attract and train 1,500 young and new employees with the aim of helping to improve the quality of service to customers and also help reduce youth unemployment in our society,” she stated.
Declaring that the BEDC would leave no stone unturned in its desire to meet customer expectations, Osibodu disclosed that between 2018 and now, BEDC had connected 112 communities without electricity supply in its coverage areas to the national grid out of which 55 of such connections were done in Delta state.
She solicited for the cooperation of customers in respect of the ongoing enumeration exercise which she said was a precondition for them to benefit from the MAP scheme. She stressed that this would enable the company plan properly for network expansion, improve quality of power supply, adding that nearly 400,000 households have been enumerated.
In his welcome address, Chairman Board of Directors, said the training was conceived after the power sector privatisation in 2013, to enable BEDC respond to immediate talent needs of the sector, disclosing that within four years of its existence over 600 persons have been recruited.
“BEDC aims to build a technically competent organization with the required technical and functional competency, As such the two training programmes are blended learning experiences designed to equip new staff with the skills set needed to deliver excellent services to customers,” the chairman stated.
He further stated that with the GTP and TTP, BEDC had demonstrated zeal in ensuring qualitative training for new intakes comparable with any organization locally or internationally with a view to fulfilling federal government’s desire of ensuring adequate, reliable and sustainable electricity supply across the country.
The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Prof James Momoh, in his goodwill message commended the management of BEDC for its timely compliance with NERC’s request for operational reports on safety, customer care, enumeration, and metering among others.
Momoh, advised the graduate trainees to support BEDC in its quest to ensure that electricity is supplied to Nigerians in a sustainable manner, adding that they should stick with the company which invested in the training opportunity they enjoyed.
Delta state Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa who was represented by the Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Basil Ganagana said the state would continue to partner with BEDC to improve power supply in the state.
