•Urges customers to beware of extortion

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Director-General, Dr. Ayodeji Gbeleyi, yesterday said the meters provided under the $500 million World Bank funded Distribution Recovery Program (DISREP) are free.

He also noted that the installation of the meters is free of charge as well, warning customers to resist of any electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) compelling them to pay for them.

According to him, the Federal Government has provided the meters to eliminate estimated billings from the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

He spoke in Abuja alongside others industry stakeholders at the media briefing on DISREP supply.

Asked whether the meters were truly free, he requested the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Chairman, Dr. Musliu Oseni, to respond.

NERC boss said: “The government has taken responsibility to borrow money and provided these meters and said DisCos ‘I don’t want you to charge my people for these meters. Go and distribute these meters freely.’

“These meters are to be deployed and installed freely. Anybody asking you to bring money, kindly report to the utility because most of the time, the extortion is between the installers or staff of the DisCos and the customers. This is not inclusive of the management.”

The DISREP Investment Project Financing is a $250million facility that supports DisCos by financing the bulk procurement of 3.2milliion smart customer and retail level meters.

The other component of DISREP is programme for result, which is also $250milion facility.

According to Gbeleyi, 182,000 meters are already installed under the DISREP, which he stressed are for all.

The BPE boss stressed that the meters are for customers who have no meters, however the government has granted DisCos request to allow them deploy 20 per cent of the meters for replacement of faulty or expiring meters.

Speaking again, Oseni explained that although customers pay for meters that operators provide them, the government has already absorbed the DISREP meters cost through the Word Bank facility.

He said: “Every investment made by the GenCos and DisCos is paid for by the customers as far as it is provided by the operators. But the Federal Government is taking responsibility of the DISREP to procure these meters.

On the payment of subsidy, he said some reforms are underway as states fully take over electricity market.

“There will be some reforms that will happen when the states take over subsidy regulations,” said Oseni.

Describing any call for payment for procurement or installation of DISREP meters as extortion, he urged the customers to report any demand for such payment to the commission.

According to him, timeline for tariff rate is dependent on the government to decide.

Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Managing Director, Engr. Abdulaziz Sule, who recalled that the metering gap in the industry used to be 10 million meters, noted that it has reduced to 5 million metering gap.

He revealed that the government has met 75 per cent of the DISREP requirements.

The TCN boss said 30 per cent of the meters have already arrived Nigeria.

Similarly, the Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA), Acting Managing Director, Dr. Peter Asuben, revealed that as at December 2025, the agency had tested 576,208 meters and also tested 18,716 in January 2026.

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who was represented by Dr. Adedayo Olowoniyi said the DISREP was introduced to strengthen the downstream sector – distribution of electricity.

He vowed that this administration will bridge the metering gap in the industry.

“During this administration, the metering gap will be closed,” the minister said. (The Nation)