The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that 171,107 end-user customers were metered in the first quarter of 2023. Out of these assigned meters, the meter asset provider (MAP) scheme covered 92.71%.
This was highlighted in the Q1/2023 Electricity Report from the Commission.
According to the report, as of 31st March 2023, there were 12,378,243 registered customers, with 5,360,434 having meters, accounting for 43.31% of the total.
During the first quarter of 2023, 171,107 end-user customers were metered, resulting in a 1.06 percentage point increase in the metering rate compared to the 42.25% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022 (2022/Q4).
This represented an additional 6,495 meters installed, which is a 3.95% increase compared to the 164,612 meters installed in 2022/Q4. Out of the 171,107 meters installed in 2023/Q1, the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) scheme accounted for 5.80% of the meters, while the meter asset provider (MAP) intervention covered 92.71% of customers.
A small percentage of customers, 1.47% and 0.02%, were metered under the Vendor Financed and DisCo Financed schemes, respectively.
Regarding individual distribution companies (DisCos), meter installations in Ikeja, Ibadan, Abuja, and Enugu collectively accounted for 75.47% of total installations during 2023/Q1.
Compared to 2022/Q4, Jos experienced the most significant increase in the number of meters installed (+681.23%), followed by Yola (+264.08%), Kaduna (+63.68%), and Enugu (+45.53%). In contrast, Abuja (-21.53%), Eko (-14.65%), and Ikeja (-10.32%) recorded declines in the number of meters installed compared to 2022/Q4.
More Insights
During the first quarter of 2023, the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) intervention installed 158,634 meters. This represents a slight decrease of 1.92% (equivalent to -1,480 meters) compared to the 160,114 installations recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Ikeja DisCo had the highest number of installations, reaching 46,790 meters, which accounts for 15.81% of the total number of customers metered under the MAP scheme. However, it is worth noting that Yola DisCo did not record any installations under the MAP scheme in 2023/Q1.
In the same period, a total of 9,931 customers were successfully metered under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) scheme, representing a substantial increase of 259.23% compared to the 3,831 customers metered in 2022/Q4.
Also, except for Eko and Yola DisCos, all other DisCos reported a decrease in customer metering under the NMMP in 2023/Q1 when compared to 2022/Q4.
This reduction is primarily due to the winding down of the NMMP Phase Zero.
What you should know
According to NERC, some of the rights of electricity customers in the country include the right of all customers to properly install functional meters by their respective DisCos. Also, the Commission insists that all new electricity connections must be made strictly based on metering before connection.
The installed meters during Q1 (171107).is insignificant compared with the number of unmetered customers. Where comes the problem? Is it unavailability of meters because consumers now pay for meters which should by right be provided by DISCO, then why the bottlenecks? We paid for meters it takes months to be installed and you give estimated bills during the period. It’s unfair.