- DisCos financed just 90,172 meters between 2019 and Q3 2025, contributing only 0.06 per cent of installations in Q3 2025.
- Metering is now primarily driven by MAP, vendor-financed and World Bank schemes, leaving the national metering rate at 55.37 per cent.
Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) financed only 90,172 meters nationwide between 2019 and the third quarter of 2025, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Authority’s (NERC) Q3 2025 report. The figures highlighted a limited contribution from DisCos to reducing Nigeria’s widening metering gap.
The data suggested that DisCos have neglected their obligation to meter eligible customers at no cost. Stakeholders argued that DisCos must provide meters without transferring financial burdens to consumers. Many customers purchased meters and reported delayed or incomplete refunds through energy credits.
Furthermore, NERC’s report showed that DisCo-financed metering accounted for a marginal share of total installations over the six years. The commission noted that the trend persisted despite repeated regulatory directives to accelerate the deployment of meters.
The report disclosed that DisCos installed 57,007 meters between 2019 and 2023 under the DisCo-Financed Framework. Operators added 31,622 meters in 2024 before activity declined sharply in 2025. DisCos funded 1,178 meters in the first quarter of 2025, 234 in the second quarter, and 131 in the third quarter.
Meter installations under the framework concentrated primarily in two companies. Jos Electricity Distribution Plc deployed 52,174 meters between 2019 and 2025, including 31,442 installations in 2024. The company installed 1,067 meters in the first quarter of 2025, 184 in the second quarter, and 131 in the third quarter.
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company recorded a cumulative total of 37,156 meters. The company deployed 36,911 meters between 2019 and 2023, 84 meters in 2024, 111 meters in the first quarter of 2025, and 50 meters in the second quarter of 2025.
Other DisCos posted negligible figures. Enugu Electricity Distribution Company installed 597 meters between 2019 and 2023. Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company installed 149 meters in 2024, while Kano Electricity Distribution Company deployed 96 meters within the same period.
Meanwhile, Eko, Aba, Abuja, Benin, Ikeja, Port Harcourt, and Yola electricity distribution companies recorded zero installations under the DisCo-financed model by the end of the third quarter of 2025. DisCos funded only 131 meters during the quarter, representing 0.06 per cent of the 228,614 meters installed across all metering frameworks.
Most installations occurred through alternative programmes. Operators deployed 176,302 meters under the Meter Asset Provider framework. Vendors funded 44,104 meters, while the World Bank-backed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme funded 7,902 meters.
NERC also reported that 6.66 million out of 12.03 million active registered customers held meters as of September 2025. The figure translated to a national metering rate of 55.37 per cent.
The Meter Acquisition Fund commenced in February 2023 through a surcharge in approved tariffs. Kaduna installed 175 meters under the scheme in Q3 2025, bringing total Tranche A installations to 107,461 meters. Tranche B commenced in October 2025, with ₦28 billion allocated for Bands A and B.
Additionally, the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DRSP) aims to deploy 3.2 million smart meters nationwide, utilising a $500 million World Bank loan. Total installations under the programme reached 7,902 meters by the end of Q3 2025.
NERC warned that inadequate metering fuels estimated billing disputes and weakens revenue assurance. The regulator emphasised that accelerated metering and accurate customer enumeration remain crucial for minimising commercial and technical losses.