We Will Put An End To Complaints From Nigerians About Prepaid Meters- FG

The federal government has promised to service the over seven million metering gap of 2024, through the provision of 10 million meters by 2029.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu gave the projection during the ministerial briefing in Abuja while unveiling his performance in the last ten months.

Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had said out of the total 12.8 million registered electricity customers, only 5.7 million have meters, this shows that over 7 million registered customers are subjected to the estimated billing system.

He said, “We have over seven million meter gap in the industry; out of over 12 million customers, just a little over five million are metered.

“Everybody is complaining of estimated billing, and the president is determined to put an end to estimated billing,” he said.

The minister also confirmed the completion of another 1.5 million meters of projects financed by the World Bank Distribution Support Recovery Programme to improve the sector’s liquidity.

Speaking on the mode of distribution, he noted that the meter contracts will be awarded to meter providers in a few months.

Subsequently, Adelabu said 50,000 prepaid electricity meters to be installed in military barracks and establishments across the country have been procured.

He said the move was a response to an earlier plea by the Nigerian Army, to the presidency requesting to pay off its outstanding electricity debt.

In response, the president directed that the N32bn metering fund reportedly paid into the account of a private firm, Ziklagsis, in 2003 for the supply of three million prepaid meters should be utilised for the military plea.