FG Says 668,000 Electricity Meters Installed as Nigeria Closes 60% of Metering Gap

The Federal Government has announced that 668,000 electricity meters have been deployed and installed nationwide under the first phase of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), representing about 60 percent of the 1.033 million meters delivered under the programme.

The disclosure was made on Wednesday following the second 2026 meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The government said the metering drive is aimed at narrowing Nigeria’s electricity metering gap and reducing reliance on estimated billing for registered electricity customers.

Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, said the council received updates on meter deployment as part of its review of ongoing reforms in the power sector.

“Of the 1,033,000 meters delivered in the country, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” Gbeleyi said.

He added that the government’s efforts under initiatives including the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), combined with coordination by the BPE, were intended to accelerate the transition towards accurate electricity billing.

17 States Establish Electricity Regulatory Commissions

The BPE boss also disclosed that about 17 states have established their own electricity regulatory commissions since April 2024, following the implementation of the Electricity Act.

He noted that Akwa Ibom State became the latest state to establish its electricity regulatory commission in July 2026.

According to him, further adjustments are required to ensure smooth implementation of the Electricity Act, particularly as more states assume regulatory responsibilities within their jurisdictions.

“Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” Gbeleyi said.

He disclosed that the NCP had directed key stakeholders, led by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Power, the Special Adviser to the President on Power, the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the BPE and other relevant agencies, to work together on proposed amendments.

The objective, he said, is to harmonise the Federal Government’s position and address areas requiring clarification or adjustment in the implementation of the Electricity Act.

FG Promises Better Value for Nigerians

Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the government was working collaboratively through the NCP to ensure Nigerians derive greater value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who serves as Vice Chairman of the NCP; the Minister of Power; the Solicitor-General, representing the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; and private members of the council.

The latest metering figures come amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to improve electricity distribution, reduce estimated billing and strengthen regulatory coordination between federal and state authorities.