Electricity sector experts, including Mr Odion Omonofoman, webinar host; Engr Alegie Alfred, Head of Metering at Power Limited Electric Company (MPLEC); Ms Ravleen Sethi, Director of Large Corporate Ratings at CareEdge; and Engr Durosola Omogbenigun, President of the Meter Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, have called for accelerated meter deployment through local manufacturing, sustainable financing and smart technology during a webinar on rapid metering rollout in Nigeria.

The webinar’s date and venue were not specified in the information made available.

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The experts said a coordinated national metering plan involving federal and state governments, electricity distribution companies, investors, regulators and domestic manufacturers would help reduce estimated billing, strengthen revenue collection and curb electricity theft.

Their recommendations come as Nigeria continues to expand access to electricity meters, with millions of customers still awaiting installations.

The challenge extends beyond supplying equipment to include financing, distribution infrastructure, consumer confidence and effective monitoring.

Mr Omonofoman said his company had achieved more than 90 per cent metering coverage and deployed over 200,000 meters through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme and a vendor-financing model.

The company is targeting complete coverage by extending installations to all customers across its transformers and feeders.

“Metering remains a strategic investment in revenue assurance. It enables customers to pay for the electricity they consume while reducing the dissatisfaction associated with estimated billing,” Mr Omonofoman said.

His remarks highlight the commercial importance of accurate metering for electricity providers and consumers.

Reliable consumption records can help distribution companies reconcile electricity supplied with payments received, while giving customers a clearer basis for understanding their bills.

However, the experience of individual operators also illustrates the need to scale successful approaches across a fragmented national electricity market.

Engr Alegie Alfred, Head of Metering at Power Limited Electric Company, said Abia Power was addressing energy theft, meter bypass and vandalism through routine inspections, remote monitoring, consumption-pattern analysis, customer education and revenue-protection teams.

The approach reflects the fact that installing meters is only one part of the wider challenge.

Electricity providers must also protect equipment, identify irregular consumption and maintain systems that allow meter readings to support accurate billing and effective revenue recovery.

Customer education is equally important. Where consumers understand how meters operate and how electricity usage translates into charges, providers have a stronger basis for building trust and resolving billing disputes.

Speaking on India’s experience, Ms Ravleen Sethi, Director of Large Corporate Ratings at CareEdge, pointed to government-backed programmes, private-sector investment and improved financing arrangements as important drivers of smart-meter deployment.

She identified India’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), introduced in 2021, as a major contributor to investment and expansion in the country’s metering manufacturing capacity.

India’s programme offers a useful point of comparison for Nigeria, particularly in its emphasis on financing, distribution infrastructure and the use of smart meters to improve the operational efficiency of electricity utilities.

According to India’s Ministry of Power, 3.90 crore, or 39 million, smart meters had been installed under the RDSS by 31 December 2025.

The figure demonstrates the scale of deployment that sustained public support and coordinated implementation can help achieve, although differences in market structure and programme design mean that the results cannot be transferred directly to Nigeria.

From the manufacturing perspective, Engr Durosola Omogbenigun, President of the Meter Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, called for a national metering plan that brings together government institutions, distribution companies, investors, regulators and local manufacturers.

The proposal places domestic production at the centre of efforts to close the country’s metering deficit.

A stronger local manufacturing base could support supply-chain development, create industrial opportunities and improve the availability of meters for nationwide deployment.

Such expansion would, however, depend on predictable demand, access to affordable financing, appropriate technical standards and timely payments across the supply chain.

Manufacturers also need confidence that procurement arrangements will support sustained production rather than irregular orders.

Financing remains particularly important because large-scale metering programmes require substantial upfront investment.

Models that spread costs over time, including vendor financing and structured payment arrangements, could help accelerate installations while limiting the immediate financial burden on distribution companies and other participating institutions.

The scale of the task is evident in figures published by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Its metering factsheet for May and June 2026 showed that 7,743,839 of the country’s 12,589,486 active electricity customers had meters by the end of June, representing a national metering rate of 61.51 per cent. This left approximately 4.85 million active customers without meters.

The figures indicate progress, but also underline the considerable work required to achieve comprehensive coverage.

The national metering rate rose from 60.22 per cent in May to 61.51 per cent in June, while distribution companies installed an additional 203,521 meters during the month.

The Federal Government has also pursued broader interventions to address the shortfall.

The Presidential Metering Initiative, approved in November 2023, targets the deployment of five million smart meters by 2027.

Separately, the World Bank-supported Distribution Sector Recovery Programme is designed to improve distribution companies’ performance, strengthen billing accuracy and reduce commercial losses.

These initiatives provide an existing framework for expanding installations.

Their effectiveness will depend on implementation, coordination among participating institutions, transparent procurement and the ability to maintain a consistent supply of quality-assured meters.

Smart technology could further strengthen the process by enabling remote monitoring, improving consumption data and helping providers identify irregular usage.

Nevertheless, technology alone cannot resolve weaknesses in financing, electricity distribution infrastructure or customer engagement.

For Nigeria, the central question is how to combine these elements into a sustainable system that delivers meters at scale, protects consumers and improves the financial health of electricity distribution.

The experts’ call for a coordinated national plan therefore extends beyond the immediate objective of installing more equipment.

It points to a broader need to connect industrial policy, investment, regulation and consumer protection in a sector where billing disputes and revenue losses remain persistent concerns.

Closing Nigeria’s metering gap would not, by itself, resolve the country’s wider electricity supply challenges.

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It would, however, provide a stronger foundation for transparent billing, better revenue assurance and greater accountability between electricity providers and the customers they serve.