End in Sight for ‘Crazy Bills’ as FG Begins National Meter Rollout

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to begin mass deployment of electricity meters across Nigeria, starting with 75,000 units in April 2025 and an additional 200,000 in May, as part of efforts to bridge the country’s 7 million-meter gap.

This development is part of the larger Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which aims to deliver over 3.2 million meters by 2026 through structured financing and competitive procurement models.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the minister reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving the metering shortfall, saying the efforts are yielding measurable results despite public skepticism.

“While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story – one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans,” Adelabu stated. “As of December 2024, 5.5 million customers had been metered, representing about 55 percent of the over 10 million active electricity consumers in Nigeria.”

According to the minister, 572,050 meters were installed in 2024 alone, with a consistent annual average of 668,000 installations. He also highlighted that the DISREP would deliver meters through various procurement streams: 1.4 million via International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1), 217,600 via National Competitive Bid (NCB), and 1.55 million through ICB2.

In addition, Adelabu revealed that the N700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), funded through the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has been activated to support large-scale meter rollout. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been established to manage its implementation, with a target of two million meters annually for the next five years. The tender for the first batch under this initiative is expected by Q3 2025.

The minister emphasized that while the metering gap remains a concern, claims that it could take over a decade to address are misleading. “With ongoing structured interventions, Nigeria’s metering landscape is set for major improvements before the end of the year,” he said.

Adelabu concluded by urging stakeholders to focus on the execution of these concrete plans instead of generalizing the power sector’s progress as stagnant.