Monday, April 7, 2025 - The federal government is set to receive the first batch of 3,205,101 electricity meters as part of a renewed effort to address Nigeria’s metering shortfall and enhance transparency in electricity billing.
In a statement on Sunday, April 6, Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on
Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Chief
Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed that the first delivery of 75,000 meters under the
International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) is expected in April 2025, with an
additional 200,000 meters scheduled to arrive in May 2025.
Tunji criticised a recent media report that portrayed the electricity
metering sector as being in crisis, stating that it failed to reflect the
substantial progress being made by the government to close the metering gap.
“While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story – one of
sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by
the Federal Government of Nigeria to close the metering gap,” he said.
“Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been
progressing steadily. As of December 2024, a total of 5,502,460 customers had
been metered, representing about 55 percent of the 10,114,060 active
electricity customers in Nigeria. In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed.
While the government acknowledges the existing metering gap, it is actively
working to close it as quickly as possible. However, the fact remains that a
sizeable portion of active electricity users already have meters, countering
the exaggerated portrayal of an industry in crisis,” he added.
The statement further noted that, although installation rates have varied
over the years, the sector maintains a yearly average of approximately 668,000
meters. It emphasized that structured financing and government-backed
initiatives are expected to increase the deployment rate, ensuring the metering
gap is addressed more efficiently
“To bridge this gap, the government has put in place key initiatives aimed
at significantly improving metering across the country. The Distribution Sector
Recovery Program (DISREP) is set to deliver 3,205,101 meters by 2026. This will
be achieved through different procurement models, including 1,437,501 meters
through International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1), 217,600 meters through National
Competitive Bid (NCB), and 1,550,000 meters through International Competitive
Bid 2 (ICB2). As part of this plan, the first batch of 75,000 meters under ICB1
is expected by April 2025, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in
May 2025,” the statement said
“In addition to the DISREP, the ₦700 billion Presidential Metering
Initiative (PMI) is another key intervention designed to accelerate metering.
The initiative, which has already secured ₦700 billion from the Federation
Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), is structured to ensure large-scale meter
procurement and deployment. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been
established to oversee the implementation of the initiative. The government has
set a target of deploying two million meters annually for five years, with the
tender for the first batch of two million meters expected to be released by the
third quarter of 2025. These structured interventions provide a clear roadmap
for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner,” it
added.
Tunji concluded by stating that, “while the metering gap remains a
concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading.
With the ongoing DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering landscape is
set to experience significant improvement before the end of the year. The focus
should be on the execution of these well-structured plans rather than a blanket
critique that overlooks the real progress being made.”
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