FG Says 60% of Electricity Metering Gap Closed, 668,000 Meters Installed

The Federal Government has announced that about 60 percent of electricity meters delivered under the first phase of the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) have been deployed to customers across Nigeria.

The disclosure was made on Wednesday following a briefing by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) at its second meeting for 2026, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, said 668,000 meters had so far been installed at customers’ premises out of the 1,033,000 meters delivered under the $500 million World Bank-financed programme.

Gbeleyi said the metering drive, alongside initiatives such as the Presidential Metering Initiative, was aimed at reducing Nigeria’s electricity metering gap and ending arbitrary estimated billing for registered electricity customers.

“Out of 1,033,000 meters, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” he said.

The BPE boss also provided an update on the implementation of the Electricity Act, particularly the transition from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions.

According to him, about 17 states have established their own electricity regulatory commissions since April 2024, with Akwa Ibom becoming the latest state to establish its commission in July 2026.

He, however, noted that some aspects of the implementation of the Electricity Act require further fine-tuning.

Gbeleyi said the NCP had directed key stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power, Special Adviser on Oil and Gas, NERC and BPE, to work together on proposed amendments aimed at harmonising and streamlining the implementation of the Act.

Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the government was working collaboratively to ensure Nigerians derive 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.