The Federal Government has installed 668,000 electricity meters across customers’ premises under the World Bank-backed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), marking significant progress in efforts to close Nigeria’s persistent metering gap.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Gbeleyi, disclosed the figure on Wednesday while briefing the National Council on Privatisation at its second meeting for 2026, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to him, the 668,000 meters represent about 60 per cent of the 1.033 million meters delivered under the first phase of the $500 million programme.
Gbeleyi said the rollout is still ongoing, with about 365,000 delivered meters yet to be deployed to electricity customers. The development comes after procurement of additional meters under the programme was temporarily disrupted by a legal dispute involving the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria, before the Federal Government reached an agreement with local manufacturers and the court injunction was withdrawn.
Beyond metering, the government is also pushing ahead with wider electricity sector reforms. Gbeleyi disclosed that 17 states have established State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since the Electricity Act came into effect in April 2024, with Akwa Ibom becoming the latest state to establish its commission in July. Power Minister Joseph Tegbe said the government was working across sectors to ensure Nigerians begin to see tangible benefits from the ongoing reforms.
The Federal Government had earlier announced plans to deploy 1.56 million meters before the end of 2026, highlighting the scale of its push to improve electricity accountability and reduce estimated billing. With metering gaining momentum alongside stronger regulatory intervention in the distribution sector, attention will now turn to how quickly the remaining meters can reach customers and whether the reforms can translate into more reliable electricity services for Nigerians.
