Electricity Metering is regarded as the most effective way to measure the amount of electric power that flows through an electric circuit. In addition, advancements in technology have provided utilities with the opportunity to account for the amount of electric power a transformer receives and a household consumes.
Electricity metering has been a major setback in the Nigerian power sector. In a bid to address this setback, the country has implemented several metering programmes. It began with the Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) in 2013. But, unfortunately, this initiative went down the drain because distribution companies could not account for customers funds to provide meters.
After the termination of CAPMI, the regulators came off with a second initiative known as Meter Asset Providers (MAP) in 2018. This initiative though held with much regard by stakeholders, challenges such as customs levy and exchange rate made pricing unviable.
Four months ahead of the review of the MAP scheme, the Federal government came up with the National Mass Metering Program (NMMP). This initiative was designed to provide a total of six million meters at no cost to electricity customers.
When NERC reviewed the MAP scheme, the regulators reported that a total of 611231 meters were deployed under the MAP scheme despite the Covid-19 pandemic and other external hindrances.
After the review of MAP’s performance, the two schemes were allowed to run concurrently. As a result, in line with the NMMP initiative, the federal government has delivered 656752 prepaid meters, of which 306962 electric meters have been installed for customers.
Ahmad Zakiri, Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure, in his address to reporters, said that customers who are still on the estimated billing system would receive electricity meters in June.