Electricity distribution companies funded only 90,172 meters nationwide between 2019 and the third quarter of 2025, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Third Quarter 2025 report, highlighting their limited contribution to addressing Nigeria’s growing metering deficit.

The figures suggest that the DisCos have largely neglected one of their core obligations, which is to meter all eligible customers. Industry stakeholders have consistently argued that metering customers at no cost is the statutory responsibility of the electricity distribution companies.

Despite this obligation, metering has remained a major challenge, as many DisCos required customers to pay upfront for meters with assurances that such payments would be refunded. Numerous customers have complained that refunds were never provided through energy credits, while others said they were unable to obtain meters even after making payments.

Data contained in the NERC report showed that meters installed directly under the DisCo-Financed Framework accounted for only a marginal portion of total meter deployments over the six-year period, despite repeated regulatory directives mandating operators to accelerate customer metering.

The commission disclosed that 57,007 meters were installed between 2019 and 2023 under the framework, with an additional 31,622 meters recorded in 2024. The pace of deployment slowed significantly in 2025, as DisCos funded just 1,178 meters in the first quarter, 234 meters in the second quarter, and only 131 meters in the third quarter.

The data further revealed that meter installations under the DisCo-financed model were driven almost entirely by two distribution companies. Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company recorded a cumulative total of 37,156 meters under the framework.

Of this figure, 36,911 meters were installed between 2019 and 2023, followed by 84 meters in 2024, 111 meters in the first quarter of 2025, and 50 meters in the second quarter of the year.

Jos Electricity Distribution Plc emerged as the highest contributor under the framework, with a total of 52,174 meters installed between 2019 and 2025. The company deployed 31,442 meters in 2024 alone, followed by 1,067 meters in the first quarter of 2025, 184 meters in the second quarter, and 131 meters in the third quarter.

Other electricity distribution companies recorded negligible figures. Enugu Electricity Distribution Company installed 597 meters, all between 2019 and 2023. Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company installed 149 meters in 2024, while Kano Electricity Distribution Company deployed 96 meters during the same period.

Eko, Aba, Abuja, Benin, Ikeja, Port Harcourt and Yola electricity distribution companies recorded zero meter installations under the DisCo-financed model as of the end of the third quarter of 2025. Overall, DisCos funded only 131 meters in Q3 2025, representing just 0.06 per cent of the 228,614 meters installed across all metering frameworks during the quarter.

The report showed that the bulk of meter deployments in the third quarter of 2025 occurred through alternative schemes. A total of 176,302 meters were installed under the Meter Asset Provider framework, 44,104 meters under the Vendor-Financed framework, and 7,902 meters through the World Bank-supported Distribution Sector Recovery Programme.

NERC stated, “Out of the 228,614 end-use customers metered in 2025/Q3, 176,302 (77.12 per cent) of customers were metered under the Meter Asset Provider framework, 44,104 (25.01 per cent) were metered under the Vendor Financed framework, 7,902 (3.46 per cent) were metered under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, 175 (0.08 per cent) were metered under the Meter Acquisition Fund and 131 (0.06 per cent) were metered under the DisCo Financed framework.”

As of the end of September 2025, the commission said 6.66 million out of 12.03 million active registered electricity customers nationwide had been metered, translating to a metering rate of 55.37 per cent. The regulator explained that the Meter Acquisition Fund was introduced in February 2023 through a metering surcharge embedded in approved electricity tariffs.

Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company installed 175 meters under the Meter Acquisition Fund scheme in the third quarter of 2025, bringing total installations under Tranche A to 107,461 meters. NERC noted that Tranche A closed in June 2025, while Tranche B was operationalised in October 2025, enabling DisCos to access N28bn to meter Band A and Band B customers.

The commission also reiterated that the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, supported by a $500m World Bank loan, targets the deployment of 3.2 million smart meters nationwide. It added that meter installations under the programme, which commenced in May 2025, reached 7,902 by the end of the third quarter.

NERC warned that inadequate metering continued to fuel disputes over estimated billing and deepen commercial losses within the power sector, stressing that improved customer enumeration and faster meter deployment were essential to enhancing revenue collection and reducing aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses across the electricity market.