The Federal Government has banned Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and their installers from collecting any fees for meter installation, warning that offenders will be prosecuted for extortion.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued the directive on Thursday during an inspection of newly imported smart meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos. He said the meters were procured under the World Bank–backed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) and must be installed for consumers at no cost.
Adelabu stressed that any attempt by DisCos or their agents to demand payment directly or indirectly would be treated as a criminal offence. He expressed satisfaction with the arrival of an additional 500,000 smart meters, received alongside officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, led by the Apapa Area Controller, Emmanuel Oshoba.
According to the minister, the meters will be installed for customers across all electricity tariff bands. He said the free installation policy is aimed at improving billing accuracy, boosting revenue collection, and restoring trust in the power sector.
He revealed that the government plans to import about 3.4 million meters in two phases, with 1.43 million units in the first batch. Nearly one million meters have already arrived in the country, while about 150,000 have so far been installed nationwide.
While describing the latest shipment as a major step towards closing Nigeria’s metering gap, Adelabu expressed concern over the slow pace of deployment. He said the goal is to ensure that households, businesses and public institutions are fully metered within the next few years, making electricity billing fairer, more transparent and credible.
The minister described the initiative as unprecedented, noting that it is the first time the government is importing and supporting local procurement of such a large volume of meters to reform the power sector.
He assured Nigerians that the installation process would be closely monitored, with customer complaint desks set up to report illegal charges.
He added that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and state electricity regulators would work with the ministry to investigate complaints and sanction violators.
Adelabu also said the government is working with DisCos to clean up customer data and update addresses of unmetered consumers to speed up meter distribution across the country.
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