The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Friday announced the approval of N21 billion for electricity meters for Band ‘A’ customers, emphasizing that procurement and installation will be at no cost to end-users.
The fund, part of the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) under the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAP), aims to address the national metering gap exceeding 7 million customers.
NERC identified Discos’ inability to secure financing as a major constraint and developed the MAF scheme to create a credible revenue stream.
The initiative aims to close the metering gap within three years using smart metering technologies.
The deployment of funds will accelerate meter deployment, reduce commercial losses, enhance quality of service, and improve customer satisfaction.
NERC made available N21 billion from the MAF scheme, with Ikeja Disco receiving the largest share (N4.35 billion). All meters procured and installed under the MAF framework will be at no cost to customers.
The statement said “Discos must conduct a transparent procurement process within 14 days and complete meter installation within 60 days from the approval date.”