Electricity distribution companies in Nigeria installed 241,590 new meters in January and February 2026. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) released the figures in its monthly metering fact sheet.
The companies metered 119,792 customers in January and 121,798 in February. As a result, the total number of metered customers rose from 7,086,376 in January to 7,208,174 in February. The national metering rate increased slightly from 57.93 per cent to 58.57 per cent during the period.
Total active electricity customers grew from 12,232,130 to 12,307,314. Despite the progress, more than five million customers still remain unmetered and face estimated billing.
Eko Electricity Distribution Company recorded the highest metering rate at 87.62 per cent in February. Ikeja Electric followed with 87.16 per cent, while Abuja DisCo stood at 79.37 per cent. Port Harcourt DisCo also stayed above the national average at 66.36 per cent.
Benin DisCo led in new installations with 51,570 meters over the two months. However, northern DisCos continued to lag behind. Kano DisCo installed only 310 meters despite having nearly 800,000 active customers. Yola and Jos DisCos also recorded low metering rates.
A power sector expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:
“The slow pace of metering creates distrust between consumers and distribution companies. We need faster solutions to end estimated billing.”
Stakeholders blamed financing problems, foreign exchange shortages, and high meter costs for the delay.
The government introduced several initiatives in recent years to close the metering gap, but millions of Nigerians still wait for meters.
Despite these efforts, about four out of every ten electricity customers in the country remain unmetered.
SOURCE: theportcitynews.com