The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that the country will receive the first shipment of 3.205 million electricity meters in April, as part of efforts to reduce the nation’s metering deficit. The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, revealed this through his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr Bolaji Tunji, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
According to the minister, the first consignment under the International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) will include 75,000 meters, which are expected by the end of April, with a second batch of 200,000 meters to arrive in May.
Mr Adelabu explained that the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) aims to deliver a total of 3.2 million meters by 2026. This will be achieved through a variety of procurement approaches, including 1.437 million meters via ICB1, 217,600 meters through the National Competitive Bid (NCB), and a further 1.550 million meters through International Competitive Bid 2 (ICB2).
In addition to the DISREP, the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) has been launched as a major government intervention. Backed by a substantial N700 billion allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the PMI aims to fast-track meter distribution across the country. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has already been established to manage and implement the initiative.
Despite lingering concerns and criticisms, the Federal Government insists that steady progress is being made in metering. By December 2024, a total of 5.502 million customers had been metered, covering approximately 55 percent of the 10.114 million active electricity users in Nigeria.
In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed. While annual installation rates have fluctuated, the average stands at around 668,000 meters per year. With government-backed financing and structured initiatives in place, the expectation is that deployment will accelerate significantly.
The government has set a clear target of installing two million meters annually over the next five years. The first batch under this new target is projected to roll out by the third quarter of 2025. Officials argue that, contrary to popular belief, it will not take over a decade to resolve the metering gap. They emphasise that the combination of DISREP and PMI initiatives will drive significant progress by year’s end.
Mr Adelabu concluded by urging the public to focus on the structured execution of these plans, noting that while the metering gap remains a challenge, real progress is being made and must not be overlooked.