668,000 meters installed as FG targets 60% electricity metering

The Federal Government has said about 60 per cent of active electricity customers in Nigeria have now been metered as efforts intensify to reduce the country’s metering gap and end arbitrary estimated billing.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, following the second meeting of the National Council on Privatisation for 2026, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the statement, the metering exercise is being implemented under Phase 1 of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, alongside initiatives such as the Presidential Metering Initiative.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, said 668,000 meters had been installed out of the 1,033,000 meters delivered under the programme.

He said: “On various issues, 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 that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises.”

The government said the initiative was aimed at closing the electricity metering gap and eliminating arbitrary estimated billing for registered customers across the country.

Gbeleyi also disclosed that about 17 states had established State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024 following the transition provided for under the Electricity Act.

He said Akwa Ibom State became one of the latest states to establish its own electricity regulatory commission in July, but noted that some aspects of the implementation of the law still required adjustment.

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

He added that the council had directed key stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power, NERC and BPE, to engage on proposed amendments to the law.

Gbeleyi said: “Council has directed that stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders, should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonise the Federal Government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act.”

Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the government was working to ensure Nigerians derived greater value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of Power, the Attorney-General of the Federation’s representative, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and private members of the council.