Electricity Metering: Millions of Nigerians Still Unmetred
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that a staggering 5,196,828 electricity customers across the country are still without metres, despite the installation of 109,556 metres by the 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in December 2025.
A factsheet released by the commission indicates a marginal increase in the national metering rate, which reached 57.27% by the end of December, up from 56.54% recorded in November. This growth reflects ongoing efforts but also highlights the persistent deficit in metering provision for millions of consumers.
Metering Progress and Top Performers
During December alone, a total of 109,556 customers received metres, a notable improvement compared to the 88,592 installations in November. NERC identified Ikeja, Eko, and Abuja DisCos as the leading performers in this regard. These companies consistently maintain metering rates above 76% for customers within their respective franchise areas, demonstrating a more robust approach to addressing the metering gap.
As of December 2025, the total number of metred customers stood at 6,966,584 out of an active customer base of 12,163,412. This leaves a significant portion of electricity users reliant on estimated billing, a practice that has often led to complaints and disputes among consumers.