The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has called on electricity distribution companies and meter asset providers to speed up meter installations to help close the country’s metering gap.
In a statement released online on Tuesday, the commission said the announcement followed a recent NESI Metering Stakeholders’ Meeting, which aimed to enhance coordination among key industry players, accelerate meter deployment, and promote transparency in billing across the power sector.
The commission noted “a shift in focus … from financing metering projects to better coordination among stakeholders.” It also highlighted efforts “to align the coordination of the four metering programmes currently running to close the metering gap.”
NERC emphasized that stronger collaboration across the electricity value chain is essential to accelerate meter installations.
The statement highlighted that “greater collaboration among DisCos, meter providers, and other players is needed to speed up installations.”
The commission explained that better metering would improve transparency and billing accuracy across the sector, helping to eliminate estimated billing and ensure customers are charged correctly.
NERC also stressed the importance of effective consumer communication, noting “the need for a coordinated communication strategy to boost consumer awareness and participation.”
Meeting participants included the World Bank, Meristem, NCC, NEMSA, electricity distribution companies, and meter asset providers, among others. The commission said the engagement is part of wider efforts to improve metering coverage, transparency, and efficiency in Nigeria’s electricity market.
Nigeria still has more than six million customers experiencing under-estimated billing due to inadequate metering.
In January, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced plans to provide free meters for all categories of electricity consumers.
The minister stated that the meters were procured through the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme and must be installed for consumers at no cost, regardless of their tariff category.
