Nigeria’s Metering Revolution: NERC Reports Over 109,000 New Installations Across Major Cities

Nigeria’s electricity metering programme saw significant progress in December 2025, with the national metering rate increasing to 57.27 per cent, up from 56.54 per cent in November, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reported.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

NERC’s November-December 2025 factsheet, released on Tuesday, revealed that 109,556 customers received new meters in December, a notable rise from the 88,592 installations recorded in November. This growth brought the total number of metered customers nationwide to 6,966,584 out of 12,163,412 active electricity users by the end of December.

The increase reflects ongoing efforts to close Nigeria’s metering gap and reduce estimated billing across distribution networks. The report identified Ikeja Electric, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company as the top performers in metering coverage.

• Ikeja DisCo led with an 86.40 per cent metering rate, having metered 1,130,213 of its 1,308,042 active customers.

• Eko DisCo followed closely at 85.87 per cent, with 550,764 out of 641,411 customers metered.

• Abuja DisCo recorded a 77.81 per cent rate, metering 1,044,014 of 1,341,807 active users.

For new installations in December alone, Abuja DisCo topped the list with 19,953 meters installed, while Port Harcourt DisCo added 17,471 meters and Benin DisCo achieved 17,928 new installations.

NERC also noted that electricity consumers who paid upfront for meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme are receiving refunds through energy credits. Nathan Shatti, NERC’s Commissioner for Corporate Services, stated that of the ₦25 billion paid by approximately 2.5 million customers under the MAP scheme, ₦20 billion has already been reimbursed, benefiting 2.1 million customers.

The MAP scheme enables customers to pay for meters upfront to avoid estimated billing, with refunds provided over time through energy credits. Shatti emphasized that the scheme remains an option for those who prefer immediate metering rather than waiting for government-funded installations.

While presenting a paper titled “Metering Challenges in Nigeria and Government Interventions,” Shatti highlighted that the MAP scheme complements broader national initiatives, including the Presidential Metering Initiative, which allocated ₦700 billion to supply 2.5 million prepaid and distribution transformer meters nationwide.

He added that a procurement process involving 42 local meter manufacturers and assemblers is underway to supply and install an additional 750,000 meters within 15 months, further advancing Nigeria’s goal of eliminating estimated billing and promoting transparency in the electricity sector.