KEY POINTS

• Nigeria added 148,077 electricity meters in May and June.

• National metering rate rose to 54.33 percent.

• Seven DisCos remain below 50 percent coverage.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission said 148,077 electricity customers were metered across the country in May and June 2025, raising the nationwide metering rate by less than one percent.

The disclosure came through the commission’s latest factsheet on the Metering Status of Distribution Companies.

National metering rate shows modest progress

NERC reported that 63,180 customers received meters in May, while 84,897 were added in June. With these installations, the total number of metered customers nationwide stood at 6,422,933 as of June. The country’s metering rate rose from 53.78 percent in May to 54.33 percent in June.

The data also showed that Nigeria’s total active electricity customers increased marginally, from 11,784,842 in May to 11,821,194 in June. Ikeja Distribution Company led the industry with an 84.65 percent metering rate, followed closely by Eko at 83.33 percent and Abuja at 73.06 percent. At the lower end, Yola posted the weakest performance at 28.55 percent, with Jos at 29.51 per cent and Kaduna at 33.46 percent.

Aba DisCo shows the fastest improvement

The report highlighted Aba Distribution Company as the most improved performer. Its metering rate advanced from 37.88 percent in May to 45.17 percent in June, following the installation of 12,376 new meters. Benin also crossed into the 50 percent threshold, rising from 49.95 percent to 50.33 percent in the same period.

Still, seven of the 12 distribution companies remain below 50 percent coverage, leaving millions of customers without meters and subject to estimated billing, according to Punch. Consumer complaints about arbitrary charges remain common.

NERC reiterated its policy of enforcing monthly energy caps for unmetered customers. The caps set maximum charges based on feeder consumption levels and the usage of comparable metered customers. Despite these measures, several DisCos were reported to have overbilled, prompting sanctions from the regulator.