MEET THE STAFF SERIES

Increasing Our Market Size is Key to Meeting Our Collections Target… Tambuwal

CCD: Nura Faruk Tambuwal, tell us about your journey in Kaduna Electric?

Nura Faruk  Sokoto Regional Office

NFT: I joined the Company in January 2008 when it was PHCN as officer 3 (lines). So, I was opportune to witnessed the transition to Kaduna Electric. I was one of the lucky ones that scaled through a rigorous recruitment exercise by Kaduna Electric in 2015 and was retained. I supervised many Service Centers in Kebbi Regional Office, namely Bulasa Feeder, Bayan kara Feeder and Tambuwal Feeder. In April 2018, I was redeployed to Sokoto Regional Office as a Feeder Manager, Water Works Feeder.

The journey has been a mixture of challenges and success; it has not been easy because of the nature of the service we provide but there have equally been some achievements, which we must not fail to acknowledge; when I assumed duty at the Water Works Feeder in April, the revenue collection of march was 6.5million naira, then in May, we raised it to 7.8 million naira. I believe in team work and the staff that work under me really cooperate, we work as a team. We are not relenting; we will continue to put in our best in meeting the set target of the feeder.

CCD: As a supervisor, how do you run the service center?

NFT: Well, my primary assignment is to steer the activities of marketing, engineering and other departments under my center with the sole objective of ensuring a 100% collection of revenues and ensure that the customers’ complaints are resolved within shortest time. I also monitor the bill distribution process on daily basis through painstaking review of the established trackers; for example, I follow the

process carefully when bills are printed to ensure that all bills are fully distributed to the customers. I also maintain a culture of morning briefing with my staff on daily basis, it helps me a lot to know where I will put more emphasis in achieving my target.

CCD: What is your total customer population?

NFT: I can categorically state that we have 4,350 customers, both prepaid and postpaid. However, the prepaid customers are not more than 5 percent of the total customers’ population. I have a concrete plan already, I gave each sales rep a target so that an average of 120 customers are captured on a monthly basis, we hope to hit higher figures and increase our customers base.

CCD: Meeting our collection target is a major challenge facing the Regional Office now, how do we boost the collection?

NFT: well, increasing our market size is the key here, and that can be achieved through continuous enumeration and separation of both existing and new customers. Thus, the more customers are captured into the billing system, the more revenue to be generated. Secondly, we must intensify efforts at blocking leakages such as energy theft, meter bypass and recovery of outstanding debt, these will surely increase collection of Regional Office.

Finally, I must commend the effort of enforcement team of the Regional Office for the wonderful job they are doing in blocking leakages.

CCD: Give us a breakdown of your customer classification?

NFT: Out of a total of 4,350 customers, 4,250 are post-paid customers, 100 are prepaid customers.

CCD: What are the strategies for an effective cash collection?

NFT: Ensure that MDs and Non-MD bills are printed within the first week of every month, after monthly salaries have been paid, to enable salary earners pay their bills as at when due. Also establish and maintain good rapport with traditional leaders in rural communities who have been helpful to us in terms of revenue collection and generation, tariff re-classification to ensure that our customers are placed on appropriate tariff class. There is also the need for more awareness/sensitization campaigns. We need the buy-in of all the stakeholders.

CCD: What would you like to be remembered for?

NFT: I would like people to remember me for my integrity, honesty and transparency.

CCD: Your last word to staff at this point?

 NFT: I want all the staff to be on a positive side. Let us prove ourselves to be the best and let service to the Company be our goal.