The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved N30bn for the third phase of the Meter Acquisition Fund to accelerate the installation of electricity meters for unmetered Band A customers and expand coverage among Band B consumers.
The regulator has also directed electricity distribution companies to complete all meter installations under the programme by 31 May, 2027, warning that customers must not be charged for meters provided through the initiative.
The commission disclosed this in Order No. NERC/2026/121 on the operationalisation of Tranche C of the Meter Acquisition Fund, effective 2 November, 2026. It announced the order in a post on its official X handle on Tuesday.
The post read, “The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC or the Commission) hereby informs electricity consumers and stakeholders of the issuance of Order No. NERC/2026/121 on the Operationalisation of Tranche C of the Meter Acquisition Fund, effective 2 November 2026.
“The Commission has approved N30 billion for Tranche C, to be allocated among the eleven Distribution Companies (DisCos) in proportion to their respective contributions to the Fund. The funding is intended to meter all remaining unmetered Band A customers and accelerate the metering of Band B customers, with equitable distribution across states within the respective DisCo franchise areas.”
The latest funding is part of the Federal Government’s Presidential Metering Initiative, which seeks to close the country’s persistent electricity metering gap, protect consumers from estimated billing and improve accountability in the power distribution system.
According to the order, the approved N30bn will be shared among the 11 electricity distribution companies in proportion to their respective contributions to the Meter Acquisition Fund.
The funds will be used to provide meters for all remaining unmetered Band A customers while accelerating installations for Band B consumers. The commission also directed that the distribution should be equitable across states within each DisCo’s franchise area.
Under the arrangement, the distribution companies are required to conduct transparent procurement exercises involving eligible Local Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers and Meter Asset Providers with verified meter stocks.
NERC said it had prescribed maximum procurement prices based on the median national bid prices submitted by Meter Asset Providers during the September 2026 bidding cycle.
