Nigeria will receive first batch of 3.2 million meters in April – Adelabu

Nigeria will receive first batch of 3.2 million meters in April – Adelabu

The Federal Government has announced plans to receive the first batch of 3.205 million electricity meters in April 2025, as part of efforts to bridge the metering gap in the country.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, in Abuja on Sunday.

According to Adelabu, the meters are being procured under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which aims to deliver 3.2 million meters by 2026 through various procurement models.

The minister revealed that the first batch of 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) is expected by the end of April, followed by an additional 200,000 meters in May.

The procurement breakdown includes: 

• 1.437 million meters through ICB1
• 217,600 meters through National Competitive Bid (NCB)
• 1.550 million meters through ICB2

N700 Billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) in Motion

In addition to DISREP, Adelabu highlighted the N700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), which has already secured funding from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

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The minister said that the PMI, which had already secured N700 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), was structured to ensure large-scale meter procurement and deployment.

He said that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) had been established to oversee the implementation of the initiative.

”While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story; one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by the Federal Government to close the metering gap. 

”Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been progressing steadily. 

”As of Dec.2024, a total of 5.502 million customers had been metered, representing about 55 percent of the 10.114 million active electricity customers in the country,” he said. 

In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed, maintaining an average yearly deployment of 668,000 meters, the minister noted.

The government has set a target of 2 million meters annually over the next five years, with the first batch expected by Q3 2024.

”These structured interventions provide a clear roadmap for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner”. 

“While the metering gap remains a concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading,” he said. 

Adelabu emphasized that with the DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering gap will be significantly reduced before the end of the year.

Nigeria will receive first batch of 3.2 million meters in April – Adelabu