The Federal Government has enacted a comprehensive ban on electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and meter installers from demanding any fees from consumers for the installation of electricity meters. Those found violating this directive will face legal action.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced this prohibition during an inspection of a shipment of imported smart meters at APM Terminals in Apapa, Lagos, on Thursday, January 22.
These meters were procured through the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which is financed by the World Bank and aims to eliminate Nigeria's metering gap while enhancing transparency in electricity billing practices.
Adelabu emphasized that all meters provided under this program should be installed at no cost to consumers, irrespective of their category.
He stated, "It is illegal for any official from a DisCo or installer to ask for any money from consumers prior to installation. These meters are to be distributed and installed entirely without charge."
Additionally, he revealed that around 500,000 new smart meters have arrived, contributing to earlier deliveries made under this initiative.
The program aims for the acquisition of a total of 3.4 million meters in two phases. The initial batch consists of 1.43 million meters, of which nearly one million have been brought to Nigeria, with approximately 150,000 already installed across the nation.
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