The Federal Government has announced plans to deliver the first batch of over 3.2 million electricity meters, part of efforts to close the more than 7 million unit metering gap in the country.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Bolaji Tunji, confirmed that 75,000 meters, procured under the International Competitive Bid 1, are expected to be delivered by April 2025. A second batch of 200,000 meters will follow in May 2025.
Tunji emphasized that while challenges persist, the government’s efforts to address the metering gap are ongoing and showing tangible progress. He pointed out that, as of December 2024, a total of 5,502,460 customers had been metered, representing approximately 55% of Nigeria’s 10,114,060 active electricity customers.
Despite claims of stagnation, he said, metering installations have been progressing steadily, with an annual average of about 668,000 meters installed over the years. The government’s continued financial commitment and structured implementation plans are expected to speed up the process, enabling faster closure of the metering gap.
To further accelerate progress, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been created to oversee the initiative. The government has set a target of installing two million meters annually for the next five years, with the tender for the first batch of two million meters set to be released by the third quarter of 2025.
These structured interventions, according to Tunji, lay out a clear and sustainable roadmap for addressing the metering gap effectively.
He also dismissed the notion that it would take over a decade to resolve the issue, calling it misleading.
