Federal Government has imposed a nationwide ban on electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and meter installers collecting payments from consumers for electricity meter installations, with stern warnings of prosecution for offenders.
DisCos
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued the directive Thursday during an inspection of a new consignment of imported smart meters at APM Terminals in Apapa, Lagos.
Read Also: Power Struggle: States Move to Bypass DisCos in Energy Supply Chain
The meters form part of the World Bank-funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), designed to bridge Nigeria’s metering gap and enhance billing transparency.
Adelabu emphasised that all meters under this programme must be installed free for customers across all categories, declaring any demand for payment an offence. “It is an illegality for any DisCo official or installer to request a dime from consumers before installation.
“These meters must be distributed and installed completely free of charge,” he stated.
He revealed that approximately 500,000 smart meters had arrived, supplementing prior deliveries in the initiative targeting 3.4 million meters in two phases. Of the first batch of 1.43 million, nearly one million have reached Nigeria, with about 150,000 already installed nationwide.
The ban addresses longstanding complaints of extortion and delays, with the government pledging monitoring through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), state regulators, and public tip-offs.
Confirmed violators face public prosecution as a deterrent, while new protocols aim to accelerate deployment.
Read Also: NERC Orders DisCos to Compensate Band A Customers in 557 Streets
Industry stakeholders, including Mojec Chairman Mojisola Abdul, reaffirmed commitment to free installations, introducing mobile registration for meters within three days.
The initiative covers all tariff bands, promising equitable access to reliable metering for households and businesses.
