Federal Government Has Metered 60% of Electricity Consumers in Nigeria

The federal government said on Wednesday that it has metered about 60 percent of active electricity customers in Nigeria. This is part of the ongoing rollout under Phase 1 of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).

The government aims to close the electricity metering gap and stop the unfair estimated billing for registered customers. This is through initiatives like the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and the work of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

This update was shared during the second meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) for the year 2026. The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and was led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Ayodeji Gbeleyi, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, described the meeting as productive. He mentioned that they gave the vice president updates on the NCP's activities.

"We provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 percent of the meters delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have installed 668,000 meters at customers’ premises," he said.

On the Electricity Act, Mr Gbeleyi said that since April 2024, about 17 states have set up their own State Electricity Regulatory Commissions. He also noted that Akwa Ibom State created its Electricity Regulatory Commission in July this year.

“Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” he added.

Mr Gbeleyi stated that the Council has asked key stakeholders to work together. This includes the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, and others. They are to engage in discussions to streamline the Federal Government’s position on necessary changes to improve the Electricity Act.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, also spoke about the NCP's efforts. He said they are focused on making sure Nigerians benefit from electricity and other important areas of the economy.

"We are working together to ensure that we provide value, whether in electricity or in telecoms. We want to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government," the minister stated.