Chukwu Obinna 
Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies connect more than 187,000 customers to prepaid metres within eight weeks, as regulators intensify efforts to close the country’s long-standing metering gap.
Fresh data released on Friday by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) shows that DisCos installed 80,943 metres in September, followed by 106,822 units in October.
The increase raises the national metering rate from 55.37% to 56.07%, according to NERC’s latest Metering Factsheet.
The total number of active electricity customers edged up from 12.03 million to 12.07 million, while metered customers rose from 6.66 million to 6.77 million within the same period.
Aba Power Distribution Company records the sharpest improvement, with metering coverage jumping from 69.49% to 78.20% in one month.
Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies retain the highest coverage levels nationwide, each sustaining metering rates above 84%. Abuja and Ibadan DisCos also post steady installation gains.
However, five DisCos — Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Kano and Yola — remain below the 50% metering threshold, highlighting persistent regional disparities.
The data comes as Nigeria advances the Presidential Metering Initiative, which targets the deployment of 10 million metres by 2030.
NERC recently approved ₦28 billion under the Meter Acquisition Fund, requiring DisCos to complete installations by 31 December 2025.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 