ONNA, Akwa Ibom State – The Federal Government has set a target to acquire and install a minimum of two million meters annually over the next five years as part of its efforts to meet the Presidential Metering Initiative. This was disclosed by the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, during a facility tour of Metering Solutions Manufacturing Services in Onna Local Government Area on Friday.
Adelabu highlighted metering as a critical infrastructure deficit affecting the stability of electricity in Nigeria, noting that the country currently faces a metering gap of over seven million, with only about 47 percent meter penetration.
“The major deficit is metering penetration, which today is less than 50 percent of total electricity consumers,” Adelabu stated. “We have 13 million registered electricity consumers, and seven million of them do not have meters installed. This gap significantly impacts the sector, as unmetered customers cannot be billed accurately, leading to revenue losses.”
He emphasized that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is committed to addressing this gap through the Presidential Metering Initiative, aiming to ensure transparency and fairness in billing.
“Many Nigerians are subjected to estimated billing, which is not only unfair but also unjust and lacks transparency,” he said. “The metering gap is a major issue in the sector, and we believe closing this gap is essential for improving the power sector.”
Adelabu also mentioned that Distribution Companies (DisCos) have been mandated to refund customers for overbilling due to estimated charges, stressing that reducing the meter gap is crucial for their revenue recovery.
“We are committed to acquiring and installing two million meters annually for the next five years, aiming for a total of 10 million meters. Steps are already being taken in terms of funding and recovery strategy to achieve this target,” he added.
This initiative is part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to positively impact the lives of Nigerians by enhancing infrastructure and service delivery in the power sector.
