Officials have acknowledged that the rollout of smart meters under Nigeria’s $500m World Bank-backed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) has been slow, with only about 200,000 installed so far despite nearly 700,000 already delivered to the country.
The programme, launched to address Nigeria’s estimated 5.66 million metering gap, has seen electricity distribution companies lag behind in deployment.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Gbeleyi, alongside regulators and DisCo executives, reviewed progress and reassured the public that meters are being provided free of charge, with costs recovered through the Multi-Year Tariff Order. He explained that DISREP targets 3.2 million smart meters over four years, with phase one involving 1.4 million imports and additional supplies from local manufacturers. Phase two will add another 1.55 million units.
Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Power, Adedayo Olowoniyi, admitted that the current installation figures, between 150,000 and 200,000, are “not encouraging,” stressing that closing the meter gap is vital to fixing Nigeria’s distribution segment, widely seen as the weakest link in the power chain.
NERC Chairman, Musiliu Olalekan Oseni, emphasized that metering is essential for rebuilding trust between consumers and utilities, ensuring accurate billing and revenue assurance. He also sought to dispel misinformation about the programme.
Beyond metering, DISREP is designed to improve operational efficiency, financial viability, and transparency across the electricity sector. According to BPE’s Energy Sector Director, Aisha Tukur, the initiative supports DisCos with training, technical assistance, and systems to strengthen operations.
Despite these efforts, officials admitted that slow uptake by DisCos remains a major challenge. DisCo executives pledged to accelerate installations but cautioned consumers against bypassing or tampering with meters, warning that such practices undermine revenue collection and strain the sector further.
