Nigeria’s Prepaid Meter Installation Reaches 44.39%: NERC Report
The latest figures released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reveal that Nigeria has made progress in prepaid meter installations, albeit at a modest rate. Currently, out of the 13,162,572 registered electricity customers in the country, 5,842,726 have prepaid meters installed, representing approximately 44.39% coverage.
According to data from the fourth quarter of 2023, eleven Distribution Companies (DisCos) collectively installed 111,225 meters nationwide during that period. Among these, Ikeja Disco leads with the highest percentage of prepaid meter installations, covering 73% of its 898,000 customers. Following closely is Abuja Disco, which has metered 61% of its 856,000 registered customers.
However, the disparity in meter installations is evident across different regions. Yola Disco, for instance, has only metered 15% of its 124,000 customers, while Kaduna and Kano Discos have achieved a mere 24% metering rate each from their 206,000 and 210,000 registered customers, respectively.
Related Posts
In terms of performance in the fourth quarter of 2023, IBEDC, AEDC, and EEDC emerged as the top performers in prepaid meter installations. Conversely, KEDC, YEDC, and EEDC installed the least number of meters during the same period, indicating variations in implementation strategies among DisCos.
The data underscores the ongoing efforts to address the issue of electricity metering in Nigeria, with a focus on improving access and reducing discrepancies across regions. Despite the progress made, there remains a significant gap to bridge in ensuring equitable access to prepaid meters for all electricity consumers in the country.
