FG Receives 500,000 Smart Meters, Warns DisCos, Installers Over Extortion

The Federal Government has issued a firm warning to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and their installers to stop collecting any form of payment for meter installation, declaring that anyone caught extorting consumers will be prosecuted.

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, gave the directive on Thursday during an on-site inspection of a fresh consignment of 500,000 smart meters imported under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.

Adelabu said the meters, which form part of a planned 3.4 million units to be deployed nationwide, must be installed for consumers at no cost, stressing that charging any fee, directly or indirectly, amounts to an offence.

“These meters are to be distributed and installed free of charge. Nobody—no DisCo official, no contractor, no installer—should collect a dime from any consumer. It is illegal, and anyone found doing so will be prosecuted,” he said.

The minister explained that nearly one million meters from the first batch of 1.43 million had already arrived in the country, with about 150,000 installed across the 11 distribution companies. The newly received 500,000 smart meters, he added, would further accelerate efforts to close the metering gap and end estimated billing.

He said the programme covers all categories of electricity users, irrespective of tariff band, noting that the reform is aimed at improving transparency, fairness in billing, and liquidity in the power sector.

To ensure compliance, Adelabu announced that the government, in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and state regulators, would establish complaint and monitoring channels for consumers to report extortion. He said confirmed cases would be investigated and publicly prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.

“We will track this process end-to-end. Once there is a verified report of illegal charges, the culprits, no matter how highly placed, will face the law,” he stated.

Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayo Gbeleyi, said new regulatory guidelines would soon be issued to compel DisCos to grant unhindered access for meter installation, adding that the meters are configured specifically for each DisCo with anti-theft features.

Also speaking, Chairman of Mojec, Mojisola Abdul, confirmed that about 150,000 meters had already been installed free of charge and disclosed plans for a mobile registration system that would enable customers to get meters within days of signing up.

The minister later inspected the National Meter Test Station in Oshodi, where the meters are certified by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, reiterating that the Tinubu administration is determined to eliminate estimated billing and ensure that every electricity consumer in Nigeria is properly metered.