The Nigerian government has reiterated its warning against charging customers for the installation of electricity meters.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, who declared that meter installation is free of charge, warned that any electricity Distribution company (DisCo) official or installer caught demanding money for meter installations will face public prosecution.
The minister gave the warning on Thursday during an on-site inspection of newly imported smart meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.
According to him, it is now a criminal offence for any DisCo, their official or installer to collect money from consumers for the installation of meters.
“These meters are to be installed and distributed to consumers free of charge,” the minister declared.
In his warning to DisCos, he said: “Nobody should collect money from any consumer. It is an illegality. It is an offence for the officials of distribution companies across Nigeria to request a dime before installation; even the indirect installers cannot ask consumers for a dime.”
He said the meters were procured under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) and the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI). DISREP is a World Bank–funded scheme with a target of deploying 3.4 million meters in two phases.
Adelabu revealed that the plan is to import 1.43 million meters in the first batch, out of which close to one million meters have been received. “Currently, almost 150,000 meters have already been installed across all distribution companies in the country,” he stated.
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The minister affirmed that about 500,000 meters recently arrived in the country, and the government has directed that these must be distributed to households and businesses free of charge.
He emphasised that the goal of the scheme is to close the lingering metering gap in the country and boost the commercial viability of the power sector through increased collection of electricity bills from consumers.
He observed that this was the first time in history that the Federal Government was embarking on such an initiative of mass importation of electricity meters for customers, adding that it is part of the drive to completely reform the nation’s power sector.
Eligibility of Customers
The minister said the meters will be installed for all customer categories (Bands A to E) without any discrimination. This is against the earlier meter rollout that prioritised Band A and B customers to eliminate estimated billing.
Warning to DisCos and Installers
While reiterating that installation of meters for customers is free, Adelabu said the federal government would track and monitor the installations through the national and state regulatory authorities.
He said confirmed cases of extortion will lead to public prosecution of the officials involved, regardless of their rank.
Reporting Extortion
The minister further said they would open customer complaint desk swhere people can report cases of metering extortion.
He said the installation of meters will not be left for the DisCos alone, assuring that an interface between the installers and consumers will be created to accelerate the pace of installation.
Addressing concerns about the delay in meter installation by DisCos, the minister assured that the hitches would be eliminated as more meters are now available.
According to the quarterly report released recently by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), about 5.3 million customers were still unmetered as of September 30, 2025.
The minister expressed optimism that the number of unmetered customers will be cleared in a couple of years to ensure transparent billing and improve collection.
He said his visit was to confirm the delivery of the procured meters.
The Minister also inspected the progress of work at Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) 2x60MVA GIS Transmission Substation in Apapa, being rehabilitated by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The substation, on completion, is expected to improve power supply to Apapa and its environs.
He also visited the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) National Meter Test Station (NMTS) in Oshodi, Lagos State.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in Mass Communication. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X
