More than half of registered electricity customers in Nigeria are yet to be metered, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
NERC disclosed in its Q3 2024 report that 53.85 percent of the country’s electricity customers remain unmetered.
“As of 30th September 2024, 6,156,726 (46.15 percent) out of the 13,339,635 registered electricity customers across the twelve DisCos were metered,” the report noted. This leaves 7,182,909 customers, or 53.85 percent, without meters.
During Q3 2024, NERC reported that 184,507 customers were metered nationwide, with Ikeja, Ibadan, and Abuja DisCos leading the effort. These three distribution companies accounted for 25.45 percent, 21.48 percent, and 14.61 percent of the total meter installations, respectively.
Compared to Q2 2024, which saw 51,826 customers metered, Q3 represented a significant increase of 256.01 percent. Most DisCos recorded improvements in meter installations, with Eko (+2,120 percent), Ibadan (+575.60 percent), Ikeja (+417.40 percent), and Benin (+389.32 percent) achieving the highest growth. However, Aba (-43.90 percent), Kaduna (-24.69 percent), and Jos (-9.31 percent) DisCos saw declines.
To address the metering gap and reduce estimated billing, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced in October 2024 that the Federal Government had procured 1.8 million meters. Delivery of the first batch was slated for December 2024, with the remainder expected by Q2 2025.
Adelabu also revealed plans to procure an additional 3 million meters over the next five years, with annual funding targets of 2 million meters per year. The World Bank has committed to support the initiative by providing 3.5 million meters within the next two to three years.
“With this, we believe that the days of estimated billing are gradually coming to an end,” Adelabu stated.
In November 2024, NERC directed DisCos to replace obsolete meters for customers at no cost. This directive came after reports that some electricity providers were demanding payment for replacing Unistar prepaid meters.
By December 2024, the Presidency called on the Minister of Power to fast-track the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) as part of broader efforts to reform the power sector and close the metering gap.
Despite the progress, the metering gap remains a pressing issue, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to enhance electricity distribution and transparency in billing across Nigeria.
