The Federal Government has disclosed that about 60 percent of active electricity customers across the country have now been metered, following the ongoing rollout of Phase 1 of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).
According to the government, the achievement was being driven by initiatives such as the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and effective coordination by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), all aimed at closing the electricity metering gap and putting an end to arbitrary estimated billing for registered customers nationwide.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, This update formed part of the briefing on the activities of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) at its second meeting for 2026, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking after the meeting, the Director-General of the BPE, Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, described the session as very fruitful, saying the Council briefed the Vice President on several ongoing NCP activities, including progress on meter deployment.
“On various issues, we provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 percent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” he said.
On the implementation of the Electricity Act, Gbeleyi noted that the transition from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions has continued, with about 17 states having established their own commissions since April 2024, including Akwa Ibom State, which set up its commission in July this year.
He added that some aspects of the Act still require fine-tuning. “Council has directed that stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders, should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonise the Federal Government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act, and we are engaging in that regard,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, confirmed that the NCP was working to ensure Nigerians derive value from electricity and other key 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,” the Minister said.
He noted that the meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who serves as Vice Chair of the Council; the Minister of Power; the Solicitor General, representing the Attorney General; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; and private sector members of the Council.
