- The continuation of the NMMP phase 1 appears to have been halted.
- There are allegations of fraud by the CBN against some MAPs.
Phase 1 of the Federal Government’s National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) appears to have been halted due to the allegations of fraud by the Central Bank of Nigeria against some Meter Asset Providers (MAPs). The Phase was slated to commence in August this year.
According to a report by The PUNCH, there is no indication that the Phase 1 meter distribution will commence this month, as power distribution companies were yet to be furnished with meters. Furthermore, according to The PUNCH, the informant’s identity remains undisclosed.
The NMMP is an initiative of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, in conjunction with the Presidential Power Task Force. The initiative was launched in August 2020 to allow the CBN to fund the acquisition of meters on behalf of DisCos by paying directly to the MAPs. The free metering programme commenced with Phase 0, where one million meters were supposed to have been distributed.
However, on July 20, the CBN asked the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, to freeze accounts belonging to 157 MAPs for allegedly diverting funds meant for procuring prepaid meters.
The apex bank, in a suit, requested commercial banks to restrict the account of 10 companies that received power sector intervention funds under the NMMP for 180 days, pending the outcome of its investigation.
Following the ongoing court case, The PUNCH, on Sunday, learnt that the free mass programme had also been put on hold until further notice.
One of our sources told our correspondent that the DisCos had accused some MAPs of not supplying them with enough meters during the last visits by the CBN to the DisCos’ offices.
“The CBN visited the DisCos to audit their books and see what they used the intervention funds given to them for. During the visits, it was discovered that some of the MAPs had failed to deliver enough meters for distribution. Before the NMMP commenced; what we were told by the MAPs was that they had enough local capacity to meet demands. But after the CBN signed the contract with them and disbursed money to them, they failed to meet their target. They saw free money,” one of our sources had hinted.
The CBN, in the suit, said, “The Central Bank of Nigeria reviewed the activities of 12, including the defendants herein Meter Asset Providers (MAPs) alleged to have diverted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s power sector intervention funds under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).