The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to provide prepaid meters free of charge to customers across all tariff bands.
This initiative is part of efforts to close Nigeria’s long-standing metering gap and improve efficiency in the power sector.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, warned that DisCo officials and installers found extorting customers will be prosecuted.
The meters are being procured under the World Bank-funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme and will be installed for consumers free of charge.
The initiative is expected to benefit over 5 million unmetered customers in Nigeria. The government has allocated N28 billion for the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) to support the rollout. DisCos are required to integrate their systems with the fund manager’s IT infrastructure and complete Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures.
Some DisCo officials have expressed reservations about the directive, citing concerns about funding and implementation challenges.
However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has warned that any DisCo responsible for delays will face penalties.
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