Thursday, March, 5 2026 - Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies ended 2025 with a modest improvement in customer metering, closing December with 6,966,584 metered customers and a national metering rate of 57.27 per cent, fresh data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission have shown.
The latest figures seen on Wednesday indicate that 109,556
customers were newly metered in December alone, up from 88,592 recorded in
November, signalling a late-year acceleration in meter deployment across the 11
distribution companies.
As of December 2025, the total number of active electricity
customers, defined as those billed or who vended electricity at least once
within a 12-month period, stood at 12,163,412. Of this figure, 6,966,584 have
been metered, leaving about 5.19 million customers still on estimated billing.
The data disclosed that the number of metered customers in
Nigeria’s power sector moved closer to the seven-million mark for the first
time, rising to 6,966,584 as of December 2025.
This represents an increase of 677,942 meters within the 12
months of 2025, compared to 6,288,642 metered customers recorded in December
2024. In percentage terms, this translates to a 10.78 per cent year-on-year
growth in metered customers.
The national metering rate also improved significantly from
46.57 per cent in December 2024 to 57.27 per cent in December 2025, an increase
of 10.7 percentage points.
Data show that meter installations equally rose from 572,055
end-use customer meters deployed in 2024 to 677,942 in 2025, indicating an
additional 105,887 meters installed year-on-year, an 18.51 per cent increase in
annual installations.
However, the gains were recorded against a shrinking
customer base. The number of active customers in the Nigerian Electricity
Supply Industry dropped from 13,503,342 as of December 31, 2024, to 12,163,412
in December 2025, a decline of 1,339,930 customers, representing a 9.92 per
cent reduction.
Despite the improvement in coverage, more than four out of
every 10 electricity customers remain unmetered, underscoring the scale of
Nigeria’s longstanding metering deficit.
The 57.27 per cent metering rate recorded in December 2025
reflects gradual progress driven by regulatory pressure and ongoing
initiatives, but significant gaps persist in achieving universal metering
across the country.
A month-on-month analysis of the sector’s performance shows
steady growth in metering between November and December 2025. As of November
2025, the total number of metered customers stood at 6,857,028, representing a
national metering rate of 56.54 per cent out of 12,128,611 active customers.
Within that month alone, distribution companies installed 88,592 new meters.
By December 2025, the number of metered customers had
increased to 6,966,584, pushing the national metering rate to 57.27 per cent.
The total active customer base also rose slightly to 12,163,412. Notably, meter
installations accelerated during the month, with 109,556 customers newly
metered, 20,964 more than the figure recorded in November.
The data indicate that metering growth outpaced the increase
in active customers, resulting in a 0.73 percentage-point improvement in the
national metering rate within one month. The December performance suggests a
stronger push by distribution companies to close the metering gap before
year-end, although millions of customers remain on estimated billing.
The data further reveal that while the number of active
customers rose by 34,801 within one month, metering growth outpaced customer
expansion, resulting in a 0.73 percentage-point improvement in the national
metering rate.
In the period under review, Ikeja, Eko, and Abuja DisCos
emerged as leading distribution companies in meter installations.
A breakdown of the December 2025 metering performance across
the 11 electricity distribution companies showed wide disparities in coverage,
with only a few operators crossing the 70 per cent threshold.
In Abuja DisCo’s franchise area, active customers stood at
1,341,807, out of which 1,044,014 have been metered, translating to a 77.81 per
cent metering rate. The company added 19,953 new meters during the month,
reinforcing its position among the top performers.
Similarly, Eko DisCo maintained one of the highest coverage
levels nationwide, recording 550,764 metered customers out of 641,411 active
users, representing an 85.87 per cent metering rate. Ikeja DisCo posted the
strongest performance overall, with 1,130,213 of its 1,308,042 active customers
metered, resulting in an 86.40 per cent coverage. Ikeja installed 7,748 new
meters in December.
In the mid-tier category, Port Harcourt DisCo recorded
678,446 metered customers out of 1,057,858 active users, representing a 64.13
per cent metering rate, with 17,471 new meters installed. Benin DisCo achieved
a 53.45 per cent metering rate after metering 564,500 of its 1,056,069
customers, deploying 17,928 meters within the month.
Ibadan and Enugu DisCos posted similar coverage levels
slightly above 51 per cent. Ibadan metered 1,267,503 of its 2,444,715 active
customers, with 11,298 new installations, while Enugu recorded 847,109 metered
customers out of 1,641,569 active users, but added only 1,538 new meters in
December.
However, several DisCos continued to trail significantly
behind the national average. Jos DisCo recorded 257,258 metered customers out
of 818,628 active users, representing a 31.43 per cent metering rate, despite
installing 13,626 meters during the month. Kaduna DisCo posted a 34.42 per cent
coverage with 187,050 metered customers from a base of 543,497, while Kano
DisCo recorded 35.35 per cent, having metered 282,319 of its 798,718 customers.
Yola DisCo remained among the lowest performers, with
157,408 metered customers out of 511,098 active users, translating to a 30.80
per cent metering rate, even as it deployed 4,763 meters in December.
Overall, the sector recorded 12,163,412 active customers in
December 2025, of which 6,966,584 were metered, reflecting a national metering
rate of 57.27 per cent. A total of 109,556 customers were newly metered within
the month, underscoring ongoing efforts to narrow the country’s persistent
metering gap.
The improvement in metering rates comes amid persistent
complaints from consumers over estimated billing practices.
Consumer groups have repeatedly argued that closing the
metering gap is critical to restoring trust in the electricity market,
improving revenue assurance for DisCos, and reducing disputes.
They note that metering remains central to the financial
viability of Nigeria’s power sector. Without accurate consumption data,
distribution companies struggle with revenue leakages, energy theft, and
billing inefficiencies, challenges that ultimately affect liquidity across the
entire value chain, from generation companies to gas suppliers.
Despite the progress recorded in 2025, the numbers show that
approximately 5.19 million active customers were still unmetered as of
December.
At the current monthly average deployment rate of roughly
100,000 meters, analysts estimate that it could take several more years to
fully eliminate the metering deficit unless deployment is significantly scaled
up.
Commenting on the latest metering figures, the Executive
Director and Convener of PowerUp Nigeria, Mr Adetayo Adegbemle, said that
although progress had been recorded, the pace remained insufficient to close
the country’s wide metering gap in the near term.
“From the data presented against the metering gap, we still
have a long way to go. Yes, there have been improvements, but if we look at
where we are headed, the rate is still very slow,” he said.
Adegbemle stressed that the government must explore
alternative strategies to accelerate meter deployment, noting that recent
interventions under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme were a step in
the right direction.
“The DISREP meters that the minister recently received at
the port are supposed to total about five million units. That is a move in the
right direction. What we need to do now is ensure proper monitoring and make
sure these meters are installed in the right places,” he stated.
He added that accountability was critical, particularly as
the programme is being financed through a World Bank facility.
“It is going to help us a lot, especially since it is a
World Bank loan and something we have to pay back. The monitoring aspect is not
just for the government alone; it is the duty of every Nigerian. We must ensure
transparency and proper deployment if we truly want to build and strengthen the
power sector,” Adegbemle said.
As Nigeria deepens its electricity market reforms and
state-level regulatory transitions gather momentum, metering performance is
likely to become a key benchmark for operational efficiency and consumer
protection in 2026.
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