Ikeja, Eko, Abuja Lead Nigeria’s Metering Drive As NERC Records 109,556 New Installations

Nigeria’s electricity metering drive recorded improved performance in December 2025, with the national metering rate rising to 57.27 per cent from 56.54 per cent in November, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed.

According to NERC’s November and December 2025 factsheet released on Tuesday, a total of 109,556 customers were newly metered in December, significantly higher than the 88,592 installations recorded in November.

Naija News reports that the improved monthly performance pushed the total number of metered customers nationwide to 6,966,584 out of 12,163,412 active electricity users as of the end of December.

The incremental growth reflects ongoing efforts to close the country’s metering gap and reduce estimated billing across distribution networks. The report showed that Ikeja Electric, Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company emerged as the leading distribution companies in terms of metering rates.

Ikeja DisCo posted the highest metering rate at 86.40 per cent, with 1,130,213 customers metered out of 1,308,042 active customers.

Eko DisCo followed closely with an 85.87 per cent metering rate, having metered 550,764 of its 641,411 active customers.

Abuja DisCo recorded 77.81 per cent, with 1,044,014 customers metered out of 1,341,807 active users.

In terms of fresh installations in December alone, Abuja DisCo led with 19,953 new meters, while Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company installed 17,471 meters.

Benin Electricity Distribution Company also recorded notable progress, adding 17,928 new meters during the period.

Meanwhile, NERC disclosed that electricity consumers who paid upfront for meters under the Meter Asset Provider scheme are being refunded through energy credits.

The Commissioner for Corporate Services at NERC, Nathan Shatti, said that of the ₦25bn paid by about 2.5 million customers under the MAP scheme, ₦20bn had already been refunded.

According to him, 2.1 million customers have benefited from the energy credit reimbursement mechanism.

The MAP scheme allows customers to pay for meters upfront to avoid estimated billing, with reimbursement structured through energy credits over time.

Shatti noted that the scheme remains available for customers who prefer immediate metering rather than waiting under government-funded interventions.

Speaking while delivering a paper titled “Metering Challenges in Nigeria and Government Interventions,” Shatti said the MAP scheme complements broader national efforts aimed at eliminating estimated billing and promoting transparency in the electricity sector.

He highlighted the Presidential Metering Initiative, under which the Federal Government committed ₦700bn to deliver 2.5 million prepaid meters and distribution transformer meters nationwide.

According to him, a procurement process involving 42 Local Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers is currently underway to supply and install an additional 750,000 meters within 15 months.