More than five million electricity consumers across Nigeria remain without prepaid meters, forcing them to rely on estimated billing by electricity distribution companies, despite ongoing efforts to close the metering gap in the power sector.
Recent regulatory data show that as of September 30, 2025, only 6,661,564 customers out of 12,030,315 registered electricity users across the country’s 12 electricity distribution companies were metered. This translates to a national metering coverage of 55.37 per cent, leaving nearly half of all registered customers unmetered.
During the third quarter of 2025, a total of 228,614 electricity meters were installed nationwide. While this represents an increase compared to previous quarters, the growth was marginal, amounting to just a 0.73 per cent rise from the 226,959 meters installed in the second quarter of the year. The modest improvement underscores the slow pace of metering expansion relative to the size of Nigeria’s electricity consumer base.
Among the distribution companies, Ibadan, Aba, and Abuja DisCos recorded the highest number of meter installations during the quarter. Ibadan accounted for 23.38 per cent of the total installations, followed by Aba with 20.81 per cent, and Abuja with 19.06 per cent, collectively contributing a significant share of the nationwide deployment.
However, the overall progress was uneven across the sector. Nine of the twelve DisCos recorded declines in meter installations during the period under review, reflecting operational, financial, and logistical challenges. Port Harcourt and Jos DisCos experienced the steepest drops, with installation figures falling by 62.35 per cent and 61.68 per cent, respectively.
In contrast, a few DisCos posted strong growth in metering activities. Aba DisCo recorded the most significant increase, with meter installations rising by 173.45 per cent. Abuja and Ibadan DisCos also reported notable gains, with increases of 38.28 per cent and 17.72 per cent, respectively, compared to the previous quarter.
A breakdown of installations by framework shows that the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme remained the dominant channel for meter deployment during the quarter. Under the MAP framework, 176,302 meters were installed, accounting for 77.12 per cent of all meters deployed nationwide in the period. This represented an 18.20 per cent increase over installations recorded in the previous quarter.
Leading MAP deployments were recorded in Ibadan DisCo, which installed 53,441 meters, followed by Abuja DisCo with 35,449 meters, and Benin DisCo with 26,690 meters, reflecting stronger implementation capacity in those franchise areas.
Other metering frameworks played relatively smaller roles. Vendor-financed arrangements accounted for 44,104 meters, representing 19.29 per cent of total installations. The Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) contributed 7,902 meters, or 3.46 per cent, while the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) accounted for just 175 meters, representing 0.08 per cent. Direct DisCo-financed installations remained minimal, with only 131 meters, or 0.06 per cent, deployed during the quarter.
The Meter Acquisition Fund, introduced in February 2023, is designed to support metering through a surcharge embedded in approved electricity tariffs. Under Tranche B of the fund, which became effective on October 6, 2025, a total of N28 billion has been earmarked for the deployment of meters to Band A and Band B customers across the various DisCos’ franchise areas.
Meanwhile, the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, backed by the Federal Government and supported through a $500 million World Bank facility, is expected to play a more transformative role in addressing Nigeria’s metering deficit. The programme is aimed at improving the technical and financial performance of distribution companies while closing the metering gap through the deployment of 3.2 million smart meters nationwide.
Meter installation under the DISREP initiative commenced in May 2025, starting with Abuja DisCo, and by the end of the third quarter, 7,902 smart meters had been installed under the programme.
Despite these initiatives, the large number of unmetered customers continues to pose a significant challenge for Nigeria’s power sector. Millions of households and businesses remain exposed to estimated billing, a system that has long been criticised for being inconsistent, opaque, and prone to disputes between consumers and electricity providers.
The slow pace of meter deployment highlights the need for accelerated investment, improved coordination among stakeholders, and stronger enforcement of metering obligations to ensure fairness, transparency, and trust in electricity billing.
As Nigeria continues to pursue reforms in the power sector, closing the metering gap remains critical to protecting consumers, improving revenue assurance for DisCos, and stabilising the electricity market as a whole.
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