The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that the Federal Government is accelerating plans to deploy 2.5 million prepaid meters and distribution transformer meters as part of efforts to address the metering deficit in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
NERC Commissioner for Corporate Services, Mr. Nathan Shatti, made the disclosure while presenting a paper titled “Metering Challenges in Nigeria and Government Interventions” at a three-day seminar for Judicial Officers held at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) complex in Abuja.
According to Shatti, the Federal Government, under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), has provided about ₦700 billion to support the delivery of the prepaid meters and transformer metering systems. He noted that the intervention is designed to bridge the country’s metering gap, enhance transparency in electricity billing, and eliminate the practice of estimated billing for consumers.
He explained that procurement processes are already underway involving 42 Local Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers (LMMA), with plans to supply and install 750,000 meters within 15 months. The initiative, he added, is also expected to boost local capacity in the power sector.
Shatti further disclosed that the PMI includes a training programme aimed at developing technical manpower in the sector, stating that about 5,000 meter installers would be trained in collaboration with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN).
The NERC commissioner also highlighted the progress recorded under the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which targets the deployment of 3.2 million meters nationwide. He stated that 645,000 meters have so far been delivered to electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), while 117,861 units have already been installed.
Providing further updates, Shatti said NERC established the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) in 2023 to support accelerated metering. Under the scheme, he noted that Tranche A, valued at ₦21 billion, was disbursed in May 2025 for the procurement of 143,929 meters, with 115,141 already installed across 11 DisCos.
He added that Tranche B, worth ₦25 billion, was released in September 2025 to finance 184,609 meters, of which 98,328 had been installed as of January 2026.
On the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, Shatti explained that the framework allows electricity consumers seeking immediate metering to procure meters upfront rather than wait for government-driven interventions. He noted that customers who purchase meters under the scheme receive refunds through energy credit rebates.
According to him, approximately ₦25 billion has been paid by about 2.5 million customers under the MAP programme, out of which ₦20 billion has already been refunded, benefiting about 2.1 million electricity consumers.
Industry stakeholders believe that the combined metering initiatives are critical to improving revenue assurance for power distribution companies, strengthening consumer confidence, and enhancing overall efficiency within the power sector.
