- TCN says only a meagre 44.23% have meters, translating to a 2.52% metering coverage across the entire population.
- A NERC report shows that over 7.1m registered customers are still under an estimated billing system out of about 12m registered electricity customers.
The general manager of regulation and compliance at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Ali Bukar Ahmad, has disclosed that only approximately 13,112,134 individuals out of Nigeria’s 230 million population are officially registered to use electricity.
Ahmad stated this during the National Institute of Physics webinar Series 2.0. He discussed Nigeria’s energy landscape, unveiling disturbing statistics and urging concerted efforts towards energy security.
According to Ahmad, among the registered users, a meagre 44.23 per cent have meters, translating to a 2.52 per cent metering coverage across the entire population. The TCN GM further said that 60 per cent of metered customers are bypassing the meters, exacerbating energy poverty challenges in the country.
Over the years, Nigeria has been battling a perennial shortage in electricity supply, and bringing millions of its consumers under a more accountable, transparent metering system has remained an even more arduous task.
The government and the power distribution companies have also complained of revenue shortfalls in the sector. As of September 30, 2023, Nigeria’s metering gap stood at over 7 million. This is amid frequent grid collapse, which seems to have defied solutions as of today.
A report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission shows that out of the total 12,825,005 registered electricity customers, only 5,707,838 have meters, indicating that over 7.1 million registered customers are still under the estimated billing system.
Furthermore, he revealed Nigeria’s vulnerability in the energy sector, attributed to over-reliance on gas, inadequate production capacity, unreliability, and high gas supply costs. He highlighted signs of this vulnerability, including deteriorating infrastructure, vandalism, and a shortage of political and financial resources to address these challenges effectively.
Ahmad stated, “For a country to be truly politically and economically independent in the 21st century, it must have energy sovereignty and energy independence, and a secure sovereignty and independence at all times backed by the relevant geopolitics.”
The GM stressed the need to overcome policy, regulatory, and technical shortcomings and bottlenecks in charting a path toward energy security. He called for the immediate utilisation of all energy sources nationwide and advocated opening more electricity export and import corridors.
In addition, Ahmad urged the involvement of all tiers of government in electricity supply. He encouraged investment in research and documentation by institutions like the NIP to tackle energy security challenges comprehensively.