Over five million Nigerians remain unmetered despite NERC’s gradual progress
More than five million active electricity customers across Nigeria remained without prepaid meters as of April 2026 despite continued metering efforts by electricity distribution companies (DisCos), according to the latest data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
NERC’s March and April 2026 Metering Status Factsheet showed that the national metering rate improved marginally to 59.69 per cent at the end of April from 59.13 per cent recorded in March, leaving a substantial proportion of electricity consumers still exposed to estimated billing.
According to the commission, 7,435,733 of Nigeria’s 12,457,068 active electricity customers had been metered by the end of April, while about 5.02 million customers remained without prepaid meters.
The report showed that DisCos deployed 111,654 new meters in April after installing 115,905 units in March, reflecting sustained investments in metering infrastructure across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Among the country’s 11 electricity distribution companies, Eko Electricity Distribution Company recorded the highest metering rate at 88.78 per cent, followed by Ikeja Electric with 87.93 per cent and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company at 80.08 per cent, making them the best-performing utilities in meter penetration.
At the other end of the ranking, Yola Electricity Distribution Company posted the lowest metering rate at 34.45 per cent, while Jos Electricity Distribution Company and Kano Electricity Distribution Company recorded 34.67 per cent and 35.40 per cent, respectively. Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company also remained below the 40 per cent threshold with a metering rate of 37.51 per cent.
The report further showed that Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company led meter deployment during the month with 31,951 installations, followed by Benin Electricity Distribution Company with 22,270 meters. Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company installed 13,668 and 13,506 meters, respectively.
The latest figures indicate gradual progress in closing Nigeria’s metering gap, but they also highlight the scale of the challenge facing the power sector, with more than five million customers still relying on estimated billing.
NERC has consistently identified accelerated meter deployment as a critical priority for improving billing transparency, reducing commercial losses across the electricity value chain and strengthening consumer confidence in Nigeria’s electricity market.
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