The Federal Government has banned electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and installers from collecting any fees for the installation of electricity meters, warning that any official or contractor found extorting customers will face prosecution.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued the directive on Thursday during an inspection of newly imported smart meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos. He said the meters were procured under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) and must be installed for consumers at no cost.
Adelabu said demanding payment for meter installation now constitutes an offence, stressing that both DisCo officials and third-party installers are prohibited from collecting money from beneficiaries.
He said the Federal Government had imported close to one million meters so far, with another batch of about 500,000 recently received, as part of a plan to deploy about 3.4 million meters nationwide in two phases. According to him, about 150,000 meters have already been installed across the country.
The minister said the initiative is aimed at closing Nigeria’s long-standing metering gap, improving transparency in billing, boosting consumer confidence and strengthening liquidity in the power sector.
He added that the government would closely monitor installations, open complaint channels for consumers, and work with regulators to track and prosecute any confirmed cases of extortion.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Ayo Gbeleyi, said new regulatory guidelines would soon be issued to ensure DisCos grant unhindered access for meter installation.
Officials said the programme targets all categories of electricity consumers and is not restricted to any tariff band.
Keywords: free electricity meters, DISREP, Adebayo Adelabu, power sector reform, DisCos sanctions
