The Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, in collaboration with Eko Innovation Centre, has unveiled a Smart Meter Initiative tagged: “The Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon 2020.”
This collaboration, DigitalTimesNG understands, is in furtherance of ongoing efforts to address the metering gap in Lagos and Nigeria.
Governor of Lagos, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba; along with other government officials unveiled the new initiative at a virtual press conference held on Thursday, July 30th 2020.
Widely applauded as a game-changer, the Lagos State Government will through the initiative, leverage the availability of bright local talents in Nigeria to develop and produce affordable smart electricity meters for consumers.
The initiative is expected to significantly reduce the revenue leakages in the sector and ultimately improve last-mile electricity supply.
Sanwo-Olu stated that the launch marks a significant milestone in the implementation plan of the State Government towards improving access to electricity in the state.
He said that it is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the UN which aspires to drive universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030.
The governor added that increased electricity access is one of the priority mandates of his administration given its significance in ultimately driving the economic development of the State to enable it to achieve the objective of making Lagos a 21st-century economy.
“This Lagos Smart Meter Initiative is an important way for the Lagos Government to demonstrate its commitment to improving electricity access and reliability for Lagosians.
“We believe that adequate metering of Lagosians and in turn Nigerians would increase willingness to pay for electricity, improve productivity, and more importantly, continue to improve the living conditions of our people.
“Now, as we launch the Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon 2020, we call on all relevant stakeholders – electricity sector players, technology experts, investors, regulators – to support this worthy cause as we strive to ensure sustainable electricity for all in Lagos,” he disclosed.
In his keynote address, Minister of Power (State), Goddy Jedy-Agba explained that local design and production of affordable meters will be transformational for the industry and the economy at large and therefore, urged all to support it.
“Lagos is an important state in Nigeria in terms of size, economy and resources. With a population of over 20million and the 5th highest GDP in Africa, Lagos is by far the biggest economy in Nigeria. Therefore, getting access to electricity right in Lagos is critical for access to electricity in the entire country.
“Electricity is an essential service, and we need to ensure that the benefits of smart meters flow to everyone. I call on all relevant stakeholders in the sector to support this innovative and impactful initiative– industry regulator, electricity sector players, technology experts, and fund providers.”
Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Olalere Odusote said the initiative is expected to provide access to affordable smart meters for Lagosians to improve electricity supply, monitoring, and trust between electricity providers and end-users while preventing revenue leakage.
He added that it is also expected to drive innovation and creativity while generating new interest in young people for the sector.
“Over the years, despite significant investments and resolutions around power generation and distribution, there remains a huge metering gap of over 60% of electricity consumers in Lagos and Nigeria. This metering gap is what we are seeking to bridge through the Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon.
“In line with the objectives of the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Administration to make Lagos a 21st-century economy, we have identified the need to intervene and support the facilitation of effective metering across the state, to ensure the provision of reliable electricity for Lagosians and Nigerians in the long-term,” he stated.
Doja Ekeruche, Advisory Board Member, Eko Innovation Centre explained that a call for application has been sent out to local talents in the tech community to submit their proposed hardware and software solutions using the guidelines stipulated on the Lagos Smart Meter website.
She said that all concepts will be assessed based on strict but transparent criteria to identify the most viable concepts proceeding to the next stage.
Furthermore, she highlighted that “Judges with knowledge and expertise within power and tech ecosystem will review the entries and shortlist teams to proceed to the hackathon event.
“Final Winners of the Hackathon, in both the hardware and software categories, will win N7million.
“They will also be a part of the co-creation phase with other experts, and then proceed to the production and testing stage before the full commercialization of the smart meter.”
Other participants at the event included the Deputy Governor of Lagos State – Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Olatunbosun Alake, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology; other Commissioners, Special Advisers and Heads of Parastatals from the Lagos State Government; key representatives from the Energy and Technology Industry, journalists and other stakeholders.
PHOTO CAPTION: Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (Last row, 3rd right); Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba (Last row, 2nd right); Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Lagos State, Olalere Odusote (Last row, left); Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake (Top row, 3th right); Cross-section of the media (Top row, 2nd right); and Advisory Board Member, Eko Innovation Centre, Doja Ekeruche (Top row, left ); at the launch of Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon in Lagos held on Thursday, 30th July 2020……
