Ogona Anita
The Federal Government has prohibited electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and their installers from charging consumers for meter installation, warning that any official or contractor caught extorting customers will face prosecution.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued the warning on Thursday during an on-site inspection of newly imported smart meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.
Adelabu explained that the meters were procured under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) and must be installed for electricity consumers free of charge, stressing that any demand for payment would be treated as a criminal offence.
The minister, who was received at the Apapa Port Command of the Nigerian Customs Service by Area Controller Emmanuel Oshoba, expressed satisfaction with the arrival of another tranche of 500,000 smart meters imported under DISREP.
He said the meters would be distributed to all electricity customers, irrespective of tariff band, stressing:
Extortion is not allowed, but there must be confirmed cases of such extortion, and the officials involved—no matter how high—will be prosecuted. It will be publicised and serve as a deterrent to others with similar intentions. We will not allow that. This is a government effort, and no activity of a DisCo or installer should frustrate government efforts to ensure that life is made easy for Nigerians and that we have a stable, reliable, and functional power sector,”
The minister added that the Tinubu administration is addressing a decades-long metering and liquidity challenge in the power sector.
“But the boldness, courage, and political will of the government to go ahead with this should be commended. We will track it end-to-end to ensure that the government’s effort is well implemented and our desired objectives are achieved.
“The aggregate meter gap covers all categories of customers. We are not discriminating. We are prioritising every Nigerian, every customer, every electricity user. The issue of Band A, Band B, or Band C is temporary; it is our systematic way of ensuring this reform reaches everyone. The meters will be given to all levels of customers and not restricted to a single band. I am committing to that,”
Responding to concerns raised by journalists over the feasibility of free meter deployment, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayo Gbeleyi, said the bureau coordinates DISREP implementation on behalf of the Federal Government and sits on the boards of all 11 DisCos.
“Regarding concerns that DisCos are delaying meter installations, you will soon see a new order or circular from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission prescribing the protocols and processes DisCos must follow to ensure unhindered access for meter installations.
“We are monitoring this. We have our dashboard, trackers, and all stakeholders’ hands on deck to ensure seamless and rapid deployment of these meters. One more thing—the meters here are manufactured to the specific requirements of each DisCo. They are inscribed on the meter, with an anti-theft protocol embedded. The configuration is for a particular DisCo, so a meter configured for Eko DisCo cannot be installed in Ibadan.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of Mojec, Mojisola Abdul, said the meters supplied by the Federal Government are designed to boost revenue generation and improve power supply.
“I’m telling you, physically, we have installed almost 150,000 meters, and they are free. Don’t give anybody money. You are not allowed. We had a meeting Wednesday with the minister and the DG of BPE about further progress on making it easy for every Nigerian. We are calling it mobile registration of free meters. If you register today, your meter will be installed within three days,”
Addressing concerns over delays following previous meter applications and payments, the minister reassured Nigerians:
“This is our country. It is valid that there will be apprehensions and reservations because of past experiences. Previously, there was limited meter availability, and payment was required.
“But this programme has two advantages: first, the volume is now sufficient—we have received almost 1 million meters, with another 1.55 million meters coming in the second phase. Second, the meters must be installed free of charge. The complications experienced in the past will be completely eliminated. We had a meeting on Wednesday for almost two to three hours to discuss all existing complications and foreseeable difficulties, and I assure you we already have effective solutions to all these problems.”
Adelabu also visited the National Meter Test Station in Oshodi, where meters are tested by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency to ensure compliance with standards. Nigeria currently has over five million electricity customers under estimated billing.
